Lantea Solar System
The battle raged on.
Human and Asgard, Wraith commander and soldier—all perished. Wreckage from fallen vessels littered a space spanning nine hundred thousand kilometers. Explosions rocked the Athena-class vessels Gettysburg, La Rochelle, Agincourt, and Mikhail Frunze.
While Wraith numbers continued to dwindle, the allied fleet paid a terrible price. Destroyed darts, F-302s, and UCAVs drifted through the battlespace.
The Wraith fleet instantly noted the disappearance of the Harbinger's telepathic presence.
Some continued the fight.
Others sought escape.
Still others reached out to Todd's strong nearby presence.
Nine Hive ships immediately pledged allegiance to Todd, switching sides as they sensed their only chance of survival. These defectors turned their weapons on their former allies.
Wraith killed Wraith.
Caught off guard, loyalist ships faltered. Chaos spread.
The defecting Hives formed around Todd's flagship, driving like a wedge into the heart of the remaining Wraith fleet.
At the same time, Borealis and Atlantis unleashed waves of drone weapons.
Atlantis targeted remaining cruisers.
Borealis aimed higher—targeting Hive ships not to destroy, but to disable.
If successful, it would tip the battle decisively.
The allied fleet tightened the noose.
Athena, Ajax, Hermes, and Ares formed a four-ship formation, unleashing drones and every energy weapon available.
Across the battlefield, F-302s, UCAVs, and darts continued their deadly dance.
Never before had such a dogfight occurred in human history.
From the far right flank, two Asgard O'Neill-class ships broke formation and accelerated toward the center of the Wraith fleet.
Under heavy fire, their shields flared but held.
As they passed the now-silent Harbinger vessel, tractor beams locked on.
Moments later, both ships jumped to hyperspace—taking their prize.
Meanwhile, Todd intensified his telepathic influence.
The effect was immediate.
Some Wraith resistance faltered. Others ceased fighting altogether.
Those who continued were annihilated by the combined fury of the allied fleet and Todd's ZPM-enhanced Hives.
For forty minutes, the battle raged.
When it ended, the battlefield was filled with wreckage and survivors alike.
Search and rescue would take days.
Victory had been achieved—but at a cost far greater than expected.
On Atlantis, word arrived:
The Wraith had reached Earth.
Earth
After the President's address, reactions varied.
Some panicked.
Some sought refuge in faith.
Others rushed to arm themselves.
Across the world, supermarkets were stripped bare of supplies.
In major cities, troops patrolled streets. Tanks and armored vehicles rolled through urban centers while aircraft filled the skies.
Their mission was twofold:
- Maintain order
- Defend against any threat breaching Earth's shield
Businesses shut down globally. Financial markets closed.
People gathered in massive crowds—not to riot, but to stand together.
From Times Square to Union Square, humanity waited.
Then, the sirens began.
Across the world, air raid sirens wailed.
The enemy had arrived.
Earth's Solar System
Four hundred thousand kilometers beyond the Moon, Nimitz and its battle group stood ready.
Six Athena-class vessels.
Six Improved Daedalus-class ships.
Further in, Aurora-class vessels guarded Mars.
Even farther out, Destiny and her nine Copernicus-class counterparts lay in wait.
Three Asgard Hala-class ships formed Earth's final defensive line.
Rear Admiral Grant paced aboard Nimitz, fueled by tension—and coffee.
Entering the Combat Information Center, he addressed his officers.
"Gentlemen, how are we looking?"
"The air group is ready. My pilots are hungry," the CAG replied.
"What are you feeding them?"
"Gunpowder, nails, and Wraith babies, Admiral."
Grant smirked, then grabbed a cigarette from a nearby sailor.
"Announce that the smoking lamp is lit."
Moments later, he exhaled deeply.
Now, they were ready for war.
"CAG, is Sol Invictus loaded?"
"Yes, sir. Barely fits in a UCAV."
"If it works, it's worth the trade."
The plan was simple:
A UCAV would jump into the cruiser formation—and detonate.
The result would cripple the enemy's numerical advantage.
Orders were given.
The weapon was armed.
Wraith Fleet
Queen Primary sat in her throne room, consumed by ambition.
She would not fail.
She would conquer Earth—and never return to Pegasus.
Her plan was calculated:
Cruisers first.
Hives later.
Divide the defense. Overwhelm the enemy.
She envisioned a future where humanity became her feeding ground.
Where her power eclipsed all others.
The conquest was moments away.
Destiny
Orbiting near Jupiter, Destiny and the Copernicus fleet stood ready.
Colonel Davidson, Dr. Rush, and Eli remained aboard.
Rush protested their involvement.
"Destiny is not a warship."
Destiny itself disagreed.
"If Earth falls, my mission becomes irrelevant."
Rush fell silent.
Hammond
Hidden within Saturn's atmosphere, Colonel Samantha Carter's fleet waited.
"Lead cruisers have exited hyperspace," Caldwell reported.
"And so it begins," Carter replied.
Seven minutes later, the Hives followed.
The pursuit had begun.
Earth's Solar System – Engagement
The Wraith cruisers advanced unopposed.
Past Saturn.
Past Jupiter.
Through the asteroid belt.
Toward Earth.
Their sensors degraded—but they pressed on.
Darts launched.
Energy weapons fired.
Earth's shield lit up under impact.
On Nimitz, the order was given.
Deploy Sol Invictus.
Detonation
The UCAV jumped into the heart of the cruiser formation.
Countdown initiated.
Four…
Three…
Two…
One…
Zero.
Matter met antimatter.
In less than a millionth of a second, forty-three megatons of energy erupted.
A second sun was born.
Cruisers within forty kilometers were vaporized.
Others were destroyed by radiation.
Only a handful survived.
Across the system, shields weakened.
Sensors failed.
On Nimitz, silence filled the CIC.
"I am become death, the destroyer of worlds," Grant whispered.
"Where'd you hear that?"
"The Hunt for Red October."
Times Square, New York
Crowds packed the streets.
Above them, the planetary shield shimmered under Wraith attack.
Fear spread.
Then—
Light.
A second sun appeared in the sky.
Moments passed.
They were still alive.
A roar erupted.
Hope returned.
For the first time since the invasion began—
Humanity believed it might survive.