SG-8 had eliminated Loric’s Lucian Alliance squad on Level 12, just outside the control chair room. The air hung heavy with the acrid scent of gunpowder, and the echoes of gunfire reverberated through the metal corridors. Cate seized the moment, darting from her position in the west passageway.


    "Major Braden, secure this area!" Cate ordered, her tone clipped and commanding.


    "Yes, ma''am." Braden gave a quick signal, directing his team to defensive positions.


    Cate sprinted across the second passageway just as four more Alliance fighters appeared. Bullets shrieked past her, ricocheting violently off the walls. She dove into the control room, her chest heaving.


    "Will, get out there and reinforce Braden''s line!" Cate barked at her XO, Major William Troy.


    "On it!" Will grabbed his rifle and bolted into the fray without hesitation.


    Inside the control room, Sister Helena hovered near the Ancient control chair, flinching at every burst of gunfire. Her anxiety was palpable, her hands trembling. Cate approached, her expression softening but her voice steady.


    "Alright, Sister," Cate said gently but firmly, "take a seat in the chair."


    Sister Helena hesitated, her wide eyes darting to the alien device. "I—I don’t know if I can..."


    "You can," Cate assured her, a small, encouraging smile breaking through her otherwise stern demeanour. "Trust me, it won’t bite."


    Helena exhaled shakily, muttering a prayer under her breath. "St. Nuno, protect me." She lowered herself into the Chair. As soon as her fingers touched the armrests, the device sprang to life. A soft blue glow enveloped her, and the chair reclined, catching her off guard.


    "Whoa!" Helena yelped, clutching the armrests.


    "Good," Cate said, her tone measured. "Close your eyes and focus. Think about the weapons. This will give you access to Zulu Station’s drone storage."


    The sound of the firefight outside escalated. Corporal Guinan—dubbed "Sharps" for his precision—took a hit to the shoulder. Will dragged him behind a stack of packing crates, swiftly stabilizing the wound before diving back into the battle.


    Meanwhile, on Level Six, Lt. Colonel Markus Larkin and his SG-24 team fought desperately to hold the Stargate. His XO, Squadron Leader Isolde Fairbairn, and Sergeant Gunnar Bjornson anchored the line alongside Zulu Station’s security force. Master Sergeant Alison McGuire and Sergeant Erin Murphy, both from SG-4, flanked them, firing relentlessly.


    Markus’s voice crackled through Cate’s radio. "Cate, whatever you''re planning, do it now!"


    "Understood," Cate replied, her voice unwavering.


    Beyond the station, Invincible’s fleet of F-302s clashed with Hallam’s Death Gliders and Al’kesh bombers. In the chaos, an Al’kesh latched onto Zulu Station. The Invincible’s gunners opened fire, their 155mm rounds obliterating the enemy craft, but the explosion ripped through the station’s science sector. Alarms blared as damage control teams raced to seal the breach.


    Cate glanced at the displays. The situation was deteriorating, but she maintained her composure.


    "Alright, Sister Helena," Cate said. "Focus. Ancient technology responds to your thoughts. Let’s start small. Picture the Death Gliders—the enemy ships. Can you see them?"


    "I think so," Helena murmured, her brow furrowed in concentration. "But it’s been years. Could you show me an image?"


    Cate pulled up two visuals on the monitor: a sleek, menacing Death Glider on one side and a compact, angular F-302 on the other. "Destroy the ships on the left. Focus on them in your mind. Nod when you’ve got the picture."


    Helena nodded after a moment, her breathing steadying.


    "Good. Now imagine taking one out. Visualize it."


    A glowing, squid-like Ancient drone launched from the station. It streaked through space, zigzagging past the F-302s, before slamming into a Death Glider, reducing it to shrapnel.


    Cate’s lips curved into a faint smile. "Direct hit. Well done, Sister!"


    "Really?" Helena’s voice was tinged with disbelief.


    "Really," Cate confirmed. "Let’s keep going."


    The Sister closed her eyes again, her confidence growing. Two more drones launched, cutting down two Death Gliders in a fiery display.


    "Fire at will," Cate instructed, her tone filled with conviction.


    Helena began targeting multiple ships, the drones spiralling through the void. But as her ambition grew, so did the risks. One drone veered off course, heading straight for the Invincible. The crew braced for impact, but the drone fizzled out—a dud.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    "Hey! Who''s aiming at friendlies?" barked Captain McFearson from the Invincible’s bridge.


    Cate winced but kept her voice calm. "Apologies, Captain. Rookie in the Chair. She’ll adjust."


    Helena’s cheeks burned with embarrassment. Cate placed a steadying hand on her shoulder.


    "You’re doing fine," Cate reassured her. "Now, let’s tighten your focus. Aim for two Gliders at a time."


    Helena nodded, her resolve hardening. Two drones launched in perfect unison, striking their targets. She exhaled deeply, the tension beginning to drain from her shoulders.


    Cate watched the monitors, her confidence in the Carmelite nun growing. "Keep it up, Sister. The tide’s turning."


    *** **** ***


    Outside the Chair Room, SG-8 and Major Troy came under fire from another Lucian Alliance squadron. “Troy, take the left flank, see if you can catch them in the crossfire!” cried Major Braden.


    “On it, Pat,” replied Will. He moved to a large barrel and ducked behind it. He had a good line of sight to the enemy. Major Braden then directed Lt. Lamb to move up where Nyssa had positioned herself earlier. This created a choke point to trap the enemy.


    “Engage and destroy!” ordered Major Braden. Rifles began to fire. The corridor became engulfed in smoke and the air was filled with the rancid smell of gunpowder. The rat-a-tat-tat of rifles filled the corridor, punctuated by the blasts of Staff Weapons and Zat’nik’tels.


    In the Ancient Chair Room, Sister Helena continued her work in obliterating the Lucian Alliance’s Death Gliders and fighters. After her blunder of firing on the Invincible, Sister Helena contently fired two drones at a time, obliterating a handful of gliders.


    “You can fire on multiple targets, Sister,” said Cate.


    “I’m a bit worried, Commander,” replied Sister Helena. “There was a lot of angst when I shot at the Invincible. What if that was a live round?”


    Cate stood next to Sister Helena and placed a reassuring hand on the Carmelite’s shoulder. “Don’t you worry. Take a few deep breaths.” Sister Helena did so and also silently prayed a few Hail Mary’s. “Let’s try this: start with first taking out two Gliders, next three, then five, then three and finally two. Take a breath and then repeat the process. Got it?”


    “I think so,” Sister Helena replied as she closed her eyes to concentrate on the next phase of the battle ahead. “Let’s try it.” she said with a tone of nervous confidence in her voice.


    “Good girl.” replied Cate. “I’ll call everything out.” Once Sister Helena was ready, she nodded. “Go for two!” the Cate cried. She watched from the monitor as two drones streaked through the vastness of space. They found their targets, sending a shower of flotsam throughout the battlefield.


    Now go for three!” Upon seeing satisfying progress, Cate said, “Now go for five!” Marks found their targets. “Now three! Now two!” After firing the last two drones, Sister Helena breathed a sigh of relief. “Good job, Helena. Direct hit on all targets. Let’s do it again!” Once Helena was ready, Commander MacGregor called: “Fire two…Now three…now five…now three…now two. Catch your breath! You’re doing well! Now, once again…two…three…five…three…two. Almost there…”


    Back up on Level 6, Lt. Colonel Marcus Larkin and the remainder of SG-24 along with Sergeants Murphy and McGuire of SG-4 were getting desperate. Two of Zulu Station’s security personnel had been hit, and now his line began to wear thin.


    “Murphy! McGuire! Tighten the flanks! Bjornson, watch that crossfire!” He barked. Marcus leaned into his radio. “Cate, how’s it coming?”


    “We’re making progress, Marcus,” Cate replied. “Helena’s taken out most of the Death Gliders. We only have a few drones left. We’re going to try to take out one of the Ha’taks.”


    “Make it quick! Our line’s wearing thin, we’ve got two wounded down here and could use medics ASAP!” Colonel Larkin said.


    “Copy, Marcus!” Cate replied. Cate surveyed the monitor. Sister Helena had mopped up most of the Death Gliders and the Invincible’s 302’s and 402s were winning their fights. “You’re going great, Helena. Let’s try to take out the Ha’tak closest to the station.” She pulled an image of a Goa’uld Ha’tak vessel on the screen. “Concentrate on destroying the vessel. It will take four drones to take it out.”


    “Got it,” replied Sister Helena. She closed her eyes and concentrated hard. Four drones took off from the station’s drone storage room. They flew as little golden streaks finding their targets in a massive Egyptian themed spaceship. A few seconds later the mighty an imposing Ha’tak was destroyed in a massive fireball.


    On the bridge of the Invincible, the crew cheered at the sight of the exploding Ha’tak. Captain McFearson smiled briefly but knew that the battle was far from over. “Look alive, people! Our rookie may have taken out a Ha’tak but we''ve got another Ha’tak and a mothership out there!” Elle barked. She pressed the button on her chair for the radio. “Confirmed, Cate. One Ha’tak down. Congrats to our rookie working the chair!”


    “Copy, Elle. I''ll pass the word along. We''re out of drones. Invincible’s rail guns and the station''s main guns will have to hold off their remaining Ha’tak and the mothership.”


    “Have you heard anything from the Apollo, Cate?”


    “She''d be here in 30 minutes, if General Carter can get a hold of her. Other than that, I have not heard from her.


    “Understood. Who do we have to thank for working the chair?” Elle asked.


    “Sister Helena of the Cross,” replied Cate. I''ll explain later.


    “Copy. Let''s hope the Apollo gets here soon,” said Elle. “Invincible out.”


    Cate smiled and extended her hand. “Congratulations, Sister. You did it! You destroyed the Ha’tak vessel!”


    “Thank you for teaching me, Commander,” said Sister Helena. “My pleasure. Now let''s get now let''s rejoin our friends on level 6. They need our help.”


    Sister Helena got out of the chair and activated her Zat. Cate spoke on her radio.


    “Braden is the coast clear?”


    “Affirmative ma''am,” Major Braden replied. “Come on out.” Cate picked up her weapon, shut the off the lights, and the two women exited the Chair Room. “Alright, back to Level 6! We need to help Colonel Larkin with his fight!” ordered Cate. SG-8 and Will nodded. The six made a mad dash to the elevators.


    Things were not looking good for the Invincible. Elle nervously paced the bridge. “Where was the Apollo?” She thought. This was turning into Deja Vu. Two days ago, she had faced a similar situation at PXY-697; the Chekov was late coming into that battle.


    The mother ship fired several blasts at the Invincible.


    “Shields down to 47%!” cried First Lieutenant Danny Tyler, Invincible''s tactical officer as the ship was rocketed and sparks eliminated from consoles.


    “Hard to starboard! Return fire, all batteries!” Barked Elle. Gun crews sprung into action firing relentlessly at the Mothership.


    “Direct hit!” said Lieutenant Tyler.


    “Damage?” Elle asked.


    “Superficial,” responded the tactical officer.


    “Continue firing! We''ve got to make some sort of dent in those ships!” cried Elle.


    "Captain, another ship is dropping out of hyperspace!” said the helmsman “It''s... the Daedalus!”