The command room hummed with tension, the dim lighting casting long shadows across the faces of the gathered officers. Captain Eva Daniels stood at the head of the table, her sharp green eyes scanning the latest reports. TFO-1 had barely returned from their last mission, but something new, something far more dangerous…was unfolding. The Kha'zir weren’t just advancing; they were spreading faster than anyone had anticipated. And the missing Task Forces were a grim reminder that their enemy was always one step ahead.
“We’ve lost contact with TFO-4 and TFO-6,” General Milner’s voice was tight, barely masking her frustration. “Their last known location was P3X-897. Since then, nothing. No comms, no trace of their equipment, nothing.”
The room fell silent. Losing an entire Task Force was unheard of, let alone two. Daniels clenched her jaw, her mind racing through the possibilities. Kha'zir ambush? Maybe. But two teams vanishing with no trace? It didn’t sit right with her.
Sergeant Major Maddox, standing beside Daniels, broke the silence. “It’s not just the Kha'zir. There’s something else at play here.”
Daniels shot him a look. “What are you getting at?”
Maddox leaned forward, tapping a series of files on the holo-display in front of them. “We’ve been seeing signs, mercenary activity, skirmishes at outposts we thought were abandoned. The intel wasn’t adding up, but now...”
He paused, letting the weight of his words settle in the room.
“They’re not fighting the Kha'zir anymore,” Maddox said, his voice hardening. “They’re working with them.”
A murmur of disbelief rippled through the room. Daniels felt the ground shift beneath her feet. Mercenaries allying with the Kha'zir? It was unthinkable. The Kha'zir weren’t known for making deals, they assimilated, consumed, and destroyed. But the evidence was there: intercepted transmissions, sightings of familiar faces alongside Kha'zir forces, and now the missing Task Forces.
“Why would they align with them?” Daniels asked, more to herself than anyone else.
“Power,” Reilly’s voice cut through the murmur. The brilliant tech specialist was hunched over her datapad, her face illuminated by its blue glow. “The Kha'zir are promising them something. Maybe technology, maybe control over whatever’s left after they’re done.”
Kane, the team’s diplomat and strategist, shook her head, her auburn hair catching the dim light. “It doesn’t make sense. The Kha'zir don’t leave anything behind. Once a planet’s assimilated, there’s nothing left to rule.”
“Maybe they’re being offered a chance to avoid that fate,” Maddox countered. “A seat at the table when the galaxy burns.”
Daniels felt a cold shiver run down her spine. It was madness. But then again, desperation made people do insane things. She could almost picture it: mercenary captains, tired of the constant skirmishes and power struggles, seeing the Kha'zir as an unstoppable force and deciding to join them instead of being consumed.
“Do we have names? Who’s turned traitor?” Daniels asked, her voice like steel.
Reilly’s fingers danced across her datapad. “We’re still piecing it together, but we’ve identified several key players. High-ranking mercenary leaders. Some of the groups we’ve had... dealings with before.” She glanced at Daniels, the weight of the unspoken history between them evident.
Daniels exhaled sharply. “And the missing TFO teams?”
Milner’s face was grim. “We have to assume they’ve either been captured or worse. If the Kha'zir have turned them... we could be facing more than just mercenaries.”
A heavy silence followed, each officer present understanding the implications. If TFO-4 and TFO-6 had been captured and assimilated, then Earth’s forces could be walking into their own men, twisted into Kha'zir hybrids. Friends, comrades, turned into enemies.
“We need to act fast,” Daniels said, her mind snapping back into mission mode. “We can’t wait for the Kha'zir to make their next move. If the mercenaries are aligning with them, we’re out of time.”
Milner nodded. “I agree. We need to locate the missing Task Forces and deal with these mercenaries before they consolidate their alliance with the Kha'zir.”
Daniels took a deep breath. “Then we need to go dark. No transmissions, no signals. We move fast and strike before they see us coming. We take back P3X-897, locate TFO-4 and TFO-6, and if the mercenaries have turned traitor... we stop them. Whatever it takes.”
Maddox grinned, his square jaw tightening. “Now we’re talking.”
As they finalized their strategy, the feeling of dread never fully left Daniels. The Kha'zir were already a nightmare, but if they had human allies... this war had just taken a darker, more treacherous turn.
The mercenaries weren’t just a distraction. They were the beginning of something far worse.
The dimly lit corridors of Earth’s Unified Stargate Command seemed eerily quiet as TFO-1 moved through them, the weight of their upcoming mission hanging heavy in the air. Captain Daniels led her team with silent determination, her mind replaying the briefing from earlier.
Mercenaries working with the Kha'zir. It made no sense, but then again, this war hadn’t made sense from the beginning. The enemy was relentless, evolving faster than anyone had anticipated. Now, with traitors among their ranks, they were more dangerous than ever.
Daniels stopped short as they reached the armory. Her team was already geared up, checking weapons and preparing for what was sure to be a brutal mission. Maddox adjusted the scope on his pulse rifle, his face set in a grim expression. Fox silently sharpened his blade, while Reilly re-checked the scanning equipment she'd be relying on to track the Kha'zir bio-signatures. Kane stood by, reviewing tactical data on her wrist comm.
Daniels inhaled deeply, feeling the cold metallic air of the armory filling her lungs. They were about to walk into hell again, but this time they weren’t just fighting a mindless enemy, they’d be facing human intelligence, combined with the Kha'zir's ruthless bio-engineered tactics.
As she began strapping on her own gear, the door slid open, and General Milner walked in, her face taut with concern. Daniels met her gaze.
"Final orders, General?"
Milner nodded. "TFO-2 and TFO-5 are already en route to secure nearby outposts. Your team will take P3X-897. We suspect that’s where the mercenaries have established their base. The Kha'zir have turned the planet into a stronghold, but if we can infiltrate their defenses and take out the command structure, we might have a shot at breaking this alliance before it solidifies."
Daniels nodded, checking her sidearm. "And the missing TFO teams?"
Milner’s eyes hardened. "We don’t have any new intel, but we’re assuming the worst. If they’ve been assimilated, they’ll be part of the Kha'zir forces now."
Daniels felt a stab of guilt, these were her comrades, soldiers she had trained with, fought alongside, and now they might be twisted into enemies. But there was no time for hesitation. If they were beyond saving, she’d do what needed to be done.
"Understood," Daniels said, her voice steady. "We’ll bring them back if we can. If not..." She didn’t need to finish the sentence.
Milner gave a curt nod. "Good luck, Captain. Earth is counting on you."
As the general left, Daniels turned to her team. “You all know the mission. P3X-897 is our target, but it’s not going to be easy. The Kha'zir have fortified the planet, and now with mercenaries on their side, they’ll be even more dangerous. We need to move in fast, disable their operations, and extract any intel we can. And if we find TFO-4 and TFO-6…” She hesitated, meeting each of their gazes in turn. “We’ll do what needs to be done.”
Maddox grunted in agreement, while Fox simply nodded, his sharp eyes betraying no emotion. Kane was already preparing tactical support, adjusting her wrist comm for real-time coordination. Reilly, always the most nervous before a mission, gave a shaky smile. “We’ll bring them back,” she said softly. “Or we’ll make sure they don’t suffer.”
Daniels’ heart ached for her team, each of them carrying the burden of what they were about to face… but there was no other choice. They had to stop the Kha'zir. And the traitors.
“Let’s gear up,” Daniels ordered. “We’ve got a planet to take back.”
----------------------------------------
The Stargate on P3X-897 erupted with a deafening roar, the event horizon shimmering like liquid glass as it stabilized into a glowing blue vortex. TFO-1 emerged from the wormhole, their figures cutting sharp silhouettes against the radiant backdrop of the portal. The familiar cold rush of the wormhole’s transition dissipated almost instantly, replaced by a suffocating wave of heat that engulfed them the moment they stepped onto the planet’s surface.
Captain Daniels blinked rapidly, her eyes adjusting to the stark contrast between the dark shadows beneath the gate and the blinding light of P3X-897’s twin suns, which hung high in the sky like molten orbs. The heat was immediate and oppressive, a dry, searing wind sweeping across the barren landscape, carrying with it fine particles of sand and dust that stung at exposed skin.
Daniels scanned the horizon, her breath shallow as she took in the surroundings. Jagged, craggy mountains loomed in the distance, their peaks sharp and unforgiving, standing like ancient sentinels guarding the vast expanse of desert that stretched out before them. The ground beneath her boots was cracked and sun-scorched, a reddish-brown expanse of parched earth littered with shards of brittle rock and bleached bones of creatures long dead. In the distance, a dry riverbed snaked through the valley, the only sign that water had ever graced this scorched wasteland.
“Secure the perimeter,” Daniels ordered, her voice tight, the heat already beginning to sap her energy. She signaled with a hand, and the team snapped into action with practiced precision.
Fox was the first to move, his sharp eyes scanning the surrounding area through the scope of his rifle. He moved quickly but silently, his footsteps barely stirring the dust as he took position behind a large boulder near the gate, crouching low to gain a vantage point on the distant mountains. His sniper rifle glinted in the harsh sunlight as he brought it up to his shoulder, the weapon an extension of his body as he surveyed the area for any threats.
Burke and Kane spread out, rifles raised as they circled the Stargate in opposite directions, their movements deliberate and measured. They crouched low, using the scattered rock formations as cover, their eyes sweeping the horizon for any signs of life or movement. The landscape was eerily silent, save for the faint howling of the wind as it whistled through the jagged rocks, creating an unsettling, almost mournful sound.
Reilly, her nerves always a bit more visible than the others, knelt near the gate, her hands flying over her scanner as she calibrated the device to pick up any nearby lifeforms or energy signatures. Her brow furrowed in concentration, beads of sweat already forming on her forehead despite the cooling system in her tactical suit. She adjusted the settings, her breath hitching as the scanner pinged faintly, though the readings were distorted by the intense heat radiating from the ground.
Daniels kept her eyes on the horizon, her pulse rifle cradled in her arms, ready to react at a moment’s notice. Her instincts were sharp, honed by years of combat and survival in hostile environments, but something about this planet set her on edge. The heat, the desolation, the unnatural stillness, it all felt wrong, like the planet itself was holding its breath, waiting for something to happen.
“Anything?” Daniels asked, her voice steady but tense.
Fox’s voice crackled softly over the comms. “Clear on my end. No movement. But those mountains… too many places to hide. I don’t like it.”
“Same here,” Maddox chimed in, his voice low. “The terrain’s too open. If someone’s watching, they’ve got the high ground.”
Kane nodded, glancing toward the towering mountains. “Feels like we’re being funneled. Could be an ambush point further ahead.”
Reilly glanced up from her scanner, her face pale. “I’m picking up faint energy readings. Could be natural interference, but… I’m not sure. We should be cautious.”
Daniels nodded, her jaw tight. “Stay sharp. We move in five. Keep your eyes open for anything.”
As the team secured their positions, Daniels allowed herself a moment to assess the deeper significance of their mission. P3X-897 was rumored to be a Kha'zir stronghold, but the barren, desolate landscape showed no immediate signs of activity. The planet felt abandoned, yet there was an unsettling sensation that they were not alone, like the bones of the land itself were watching, waiting.
She glanced at the twin suns hanging low in the sky, their light casting long, distorted shadows over the cracked earth. The wind howled again, a ghostly wail that made her skin crawl, and for a fleeting moment, she wondered what ancient secrets this planet might be hiding beneath its scorched surface.
“Heat signatures up ahead,” Fox murmured, crouching low as he surveyed the landscape through his scope. “About half a klick. Kha'zir patrols.”
Daniels followed his gaze. The rocky terrain made it difficult to see far, but she trusted Fox’s instincts. The Kha'zir were out there, and they weren’t alone. If the mercenaries had truly joined the enemy, they’d be lying in wait, ready to ambush any forces Earth sent their way.
“Stay low,” Daniels ordered. “We need to avoid detection until we’re closer to their base.”
They moved quickly and silently across the rough terrain, their movements fluid and practiced. Daniels could feel the tension in the air. Every step brought them closer to the heart of the enemy stronghold, and the thought of what they might find, former allies twisted into Kha'zir hybrids, gnawed at her.
As they approached the ridge overlooking the enemy base, Daniels signaled for the team to halt. They crouched down, surveying the scene below. The Kha'zir had transformed the once-thriving colony into a fortress. Bio-engineered structures pulsed with a sickly green light, and humanoid figures, some clearly Kha'zir, others… human…moved through the base.
Daniels’ heart sank. It was true. The mercenaries had joined them.
“Visual confirmation,” Reilly whispered, her voice filled with horror. “Mercenaries in Kha'zir gear. They’re working together.”
“Bastards sold out,” Maddox growled, his fingers tightening around his pulse rifle.
Kane’s voice was low and filled with disbelief. “What could the Kha'zir possibly have offered them to betray the entire galaxy?”
“Doesn’t matter,” Daniels replied, her voice cold. “They made their choice.”
Fox scanned the area through his scope. “We’ve got Kha'zir patrols, plus the mercenaries. Looks like a command structure in the center, most of the activity is concentrated there.”
Daniels nodded. “That’s our target. We move in, take out the command structure, and disrupt their operations. Reilly, can you jam their comms?”
Reilly nodded, already working on her datapad. “I can disrupt local communications, but it won’t last long. Once they realize we’re here, they’ll call for reinforcements.”
“That’s why we hit fast and hard,” Daniels said. “No time for mistakes.”
“On your mark, Captain,” Fox murmured, his eyes never leaving the scope.
Daniels took a deep breath, steeling herself for the carnage that was about to unfold. The oppressive heat and the stench of burning sand filled her lungs, but her mind was focused. Her muscles tensed, every fiber of her being ready for the violence ahead. She raised her hand.
“Mark.”
The team moved as one, a well-oiled machine honed by countless battles. They swept down the ridge in synchronized silence, their figures ghosting across the cracked terrain as they approached the Kha'zir base below. Fox took point, his sniper rifle already raised. The first Kha'zir sentry fell with a muffled grunt, a single bullet tearing through its skull, splattering thick, dark blood across the rocks behind it. The creature’s body crumpled to the ground in a heap of twitching limbs, its glowing eyes fading to nothing.
Maddox and Daniels followed closely behind, laying down a barrage of suppressive fire. The rapid pulse of their rifles echoed through the valley as they pushed forward, each shot finding its mark with brutal precision. Kha'zir soldiers, twisted hybrids of flesh and bio-organic technology, exploded in sprays of green ichor as the rounds tore through their bodies, limbs severing and heads erupting in grotesque bursts of bone and alien blood.
Reilly stayed close, her face pale as she worked her scanner with trembling hands. Her breath hitched as she intercepted the enemy's comms, the harsh clicks and guttural growls of the Kha'zir forces filling her ears. "They're mobilizing," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the gunfire. Her fingers danced over the screen as she relayed the enemy's movements to Kane, who was already issuing tactical commands, her tone cold and methodical.
"Shift left," Kane ordered through the comms. "Take out that guard post before they flank us."
Fox didn’t hesitate. He moved swiftly, taking down another Kha'zir soldier, the shot ripping through its chest cavity. The creature let out a horrible, wet gurgle as it collapsed, its insides spilling onto the sand in a steaming pool of bile and shredded organs.
They reached the perimeter of the base just as the alarms blared. A harsh, metallic screech echoed through the valley, followed by the guttural roars of Kha'zir warriors mobilizing for battle. The team barely flinched. They were already in motion, slipping through the defensive line like wraiths.
The Kha'zir forces poured out of their bunkers, grotesque figures of fused flesh and metal, their mouths twisted in silent roars. But they were too slow. Daniels’ team was already inside the heart of the base, cutting a swath through the enemy with merciless efficiency.
Daniels led the charge, her pulse rifle spewing fire and death. She mowed down any Kha'zir that dared to cross her path, each shot tearing through their mutated bodies with sickening force. One hybrid came too close, its jaws snapping at her as it lunged. Daniels fired point-blank into its face. The blast blew its head apart, chunks of skull and alien brain matter spattering across her armor as the creature’s headless body dropped at her feet.
The mercenaries, former allies turned traitors, fought just as fiercely, but Daniels felt no hesitation as she cut them down. Betrayal tasted bitter on her tongue, fueling her rage as she fought through the chaos. One mercenary, a man she had once shared drinks with, tried to raise his rifle. She fired without a second thought, the shot tearing through his chest and ripping his torso open in a shower of blood and shredded organs. He crumpled to the ground, his lifeless eyes staring up at the sky as blood pooled around him, soaking into the sand.
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.
Maddox roared beside her, his heavy weapon tearing through the ranks of Kha'zir soldiers. His shots were not clean, but devastating. Bodies were torn apart in a spray of blood and gore, limbs flying in all directions as he mowed down wave after wave of enemy forces. A Kha'zir hybrid screeched as it tried to drag itself forward, half of its body blown away, leaving a trail of dark, viscous blood in its wake. Maddox finished it off with a single shot, turning its body into little more than a broken husk.
“Inside, now!” Daniels shouted, her voice cutting through the din of battle. She motioned for the team to breach the command center.
Fox cleared the path, his rifle barking as he took down the last remaining sentries with deadly accuracy. The entrance to the command center loomed ahead, its doors sealed tight, but Daniels wasn’t going to wait.
"Blow it," she ordered.
Maddox slapped a charge against the door, and within seconds, the explosion ripped through the air, sending chunks of debris flying in all directions. The doors were blown inward, revealing a corridor filled with thick, acrid smoke and the stench of burning metal.
Daniels didn’t hesitate. She charged in, her pulse rifle raised, ready for whatever horrors lay ahead.
Inside, the Kha'zir command staff scrambled in a panic, their alien forms slithering and twitching as they tried to prepare for a defense. But it was already too late. Daniels fired without mercy, cutting them down one by one. The command center became a slaughterhouse, the walls slick with dark, oozing blood and the bodies of the fallen piling up in grotesque heaps.
One of the Kha'zir commanders, a towering figure with multiple bio-mechanical limbs, rushed toward her, its glowing eyes filled with hatred. Daniels dodged its first swipe, the massive claws barely missing her head. She spun around, planting her rifle against its chest and pulling the trigger. The blast blew a hole straight through the creature, its blood spraying out like a fountain as it fell to the floor, writhing in its death throes.
The team moved deeper into the base, pushing through the chaos, leaving a trail of death in their wake.
“Drop your weapons!” Daniels ordered, her voice cutting through the chaos.
One of the mercenary leaders sneered, his face twisted with defiance. “You’re too late, Captain. The Kha'zir have already won.”
Daniels didn’t hesitate. She fired, and the man crumpled to the floor.
The rest of the room erupted in chaos as the Kha'zir commander lunged toward them, its grotesque, bio-mechanical limbs whirring to life. Daniels and her team fought with everything they had, but the Kha'zir were relentless. One by one, the mercenaries fell, their betrayal ending in bloodshed.
As the last of the enemies were neutralized, Reilly moved quickly to disable the command systems, jamming any further communications from reaching the rest of the Kha'zir fleet.
But just as they thought the battle was won, Reilly’s voice cut through the silence, her face pale with dread. “Captain... I found something.”
Daniels turned, her stomach sinking. “What is it?”
Reilly’s eyes met hers, wide with fear. “It’s not just this planet. There are more bases, more mercenaries. They’ve infiltrated half the galaxy... and the Kha'zir are using them to expand faster than we thought.”
Daniels felt the weight of the revelation settle over her. The battle was far from over. The war had only just begun.
The stench of blood and burned flesh hung heavy in the air as Captain Daniels and her team stood over the remains of the Kha'zir commander. The battle had been swift, but brutal. The enemy had been far more prepared than they’d anticipated. Daniels wiped the sweat from her brow, her pulse still racing from the adrenaline coursing through her veins.
“Is it over?” Reilly’s voice came from behind her, shaky but steady.
Daniels nodded, turning to check on the rest of her team. Kane was already securing the perimeter, her sharp eyes scanning for any signs of reinforcements. Fox, quiet as always, stood guard near the entrance, his weapon ready. But something was off. Maddox wasn’t at his usual position.
“Maddox, status,” Daniels called out, her voice hard with urgency.
Silence.
She turned and spotted him slumped against a wall, his pulse rifle resting on the ground beside him, blood seeping through his tactical vest. His face was pale, his breathing shallow. Daniels’ heart skipped a beat, the severity of the situation hitting her like a cold wave.
“Maddox!” she shouted, rushing to his side.
Fox moved instantly, covering the door while Reilly dropped to her knees beside Maddox, her medical kit already in hand. Daniels felt the weight of dread settle in her stomach as she saw the wound, deep, jagged, and bleeding heavily. A Kha'zir hybrid must have gotten him in the chaos, a wound too severe for a simple field dressing.
“Talk to me, Sergeant Major,” Daniels urged, her voice softening as she placed a hand on his shoulder.
Maddox’s lips parted, but the words that came out were faint, barely a whisper. “Just... a scratch, Cap. Don’t worry about me.”
Daniels gritted her teeth. It was typical Maddox, always trying to downplay everything, no matter how bad it was. But this was different. He wasn’t going to be walking away from this one without help.
“He’s losing a lot of blood,” Reilly said, her voice tight with fear as she worked quickly to stabilize him. “We need to get him back to the SGC, now, or he’s not going to make it.”
Daniels took a steadying breath. “Kane, get the gate dialed. Now.”
Kane was already on it, her fingers flying over the controls on her wrist comm. “Rover’s dialing the gate now. We’ve got clearance for immediate evac.”
As the familiar hum of the stargate roared to life in the distance, Daniels crouched next to Maddox, gripping his hand tightly. “Hang in there, Maddox. You’re going to be fine. You’re not getting out of this fight that easily.”
Maddox managed a weak grin, but his eyes were starting to glaze over, his breathing growing more labored. Daniels could feel the urgency mounting. They didn’t have much time.
The gate shimmered in the distance, the blue event horizon flickering as the sequence completed. Kane gave a sharp nod. “Gate’s ready, Captain.”
Daniels wasted no time. “Fox, help me get him up.”
Fox moved quickly, lifting Maddox’s limp form with surprising ease despite his lean frame. Together, they supported Maddox as they hurried toward the gate, his blood leaving a trail on the rocky ground behind them.
Reilly ran ahead, already preparing the medical team on the other side of the gate for their arrival. Kane stayed behind, her eyes scanning the area one last time to ensure they weren’t leaving any surprises for the Kha'zir or their mercenary allies.
As they stepped through the gate, the familiar rush of cold enveloped them, and for a brief moment, everything went silent.
----------------------------------------
The SGC’s infirmary was a whirlwind of chaos and urgency. The sharp scent of antiseptic filled the air, blending with the low hum of medical equipment as Maddox was rushed in on a stretcher. His face was pale, his breathing shallow and ragged, each exhale a painful reminder of how close they had come to losing him. Blood seeped through the bandages wrapped hastily around his torso, dripping onto the polished floor, leaving a trail of crimson as the medical team worked with frantic precision. The shrill cry of alarms echoed through the halls, signaling the severity of his condition, and the lights overhead flickered, casting fleeting shadows over the team’s determined faces.
Daniels stood frozen at the base of the Stargate, her pulse thudding in her ears, the sound almost drowning out the frantic noise around her. She had been in countless firefights, stared death in the face more times than she could count, but seeing Maddox like this…broken, vulnerable, clinging to life, it hit her harder than she expected. He wasn’t just her second-in-command, the man who had her back in every impossible situation. He was her friend, her confidant. Her rock. The one constant in a world that seemed to shift under her feet every time they stepped through the gate.
Her throat tightened as she had watched the stretcher disappear down the corridor, the medical team shouting commands and barking orders to one another, their faces etched with grim determination. Maddox was strong. He had to pull through.
“He’s in good hands, Captain,” Reilly’s voice broke through the haze, soft and reassuring as she stepped beside Daniels. Her face was pale, the weight of what had just happened evident in her tired eyes. “They’ll patch him up. He’s tough. He’ll make it.”
Daniels barely managed a nod, though the knot in her stomach didn’t loosen. Her mind was a tangled mess of fear and guilt. She should have done more. Should have seen the ambush coming. Should have protected him better. But now all she could do was wait. "He better be," she said, her voice low, almost a whisper. "We need him."
As the doors to the infirmary had swung shut behind Maddox, sealing him away from her sight, Daniels felt the cold weight of the mission settle on her shoulders once again, heavier than before. There was no time to dwell on what had happened. The war against the Kha'zir was far from over, and they weren’t going to wait for them to heal or recover. The fight would go on, with or without Maddox, and that terrified her more than she could admit.
Reilly shifted uncomfortably beside her, glancing toward the hallway where the medical team had vanished. “You should get some rest, Captain. We’ve all been through hell.”
Daniels shook her head, her eyes still fixed on the closed doors. “Rest can wait. The Kha'zir aren’t going to give us time to regroup. We need to be ready.”
The words felt hollow even as she said them. The truth was, she wasn’t ready. Not for this. The sight of Maddox on that stretcher, bloodied and barely alive, had shaken something in her…something she hadn’t felt in a long time.
Fear.
She exhaled slowly, forcing the feeling down. There was no room for fear now. Not when so much was at stake.
Turning away from the infirmary, Daniels steeled herself, her expression hardening into the resolve she knew her team needed. She would fight for Maddox, fight for all of them, because the Kha'zir weren’t done. And neither was she.
----------------------------------------
Hours Later, SGC Briefing Room.
General Milner’s face was grim as she stood at the head of the table, the holographic map of the galaxy flickering in front of her. Daniels and the rest of TFO-1, minus Maddox, sat in silence, their eyes focused on the red markers spreading across the map, Kha'zir strongholds, each one growing more entrenched with every passing day.
“Maddox is out of commission,” Milner said bluntly, her blue eyes hard. “He’s in critical condition, but the doctors are confident he’ll pull through. However, he won’t be available for your next mission. I’m bringing in Lieutenant Colonel Hale from TFO-3 to fill the gap temporarily.”
Daniels felt a cold knot in her stomach. Hale was a solid officer, but he wasn’t Maddox. Still, she kept her expression neutral. There was no room for hesitation, not now.
“What’s the next target?” Daniels asked, her voice steady despite the growing tension in her chest.
Milner tapped a few keys on the holo-display, and a new red marker blinked to life on the map, deep in Kha'zir-controlled space.
“P4X-218,” Milner said. “One of the strongest Kha'zir fortifications we’ve identified. Intelligence suggests they’re using the planet as a command center for their operations, and we’ve confirmed that several of the mercenary leaders we’re after are stationed there.”
Kane glanced at the display, her brow furrowing. “It’s heavily defended. We’ll be walking into the lion’s den.”
Milner nodded. “Which is why this is a covert op. You’re going in dark, no backup, no air support. We can’t risk tipping them off.”
Daniels’ heart raced, but she kept her voice level. “What about the missing TFO teams? Are they there?”
Milner’s eyes flickered with a brief moment of hesitation. “We don’t know. But if they are, it’s highly likely they’ve been… compromised.”
Daniels clenched her fists under the table. She didn’t need to be told what “compromised” meant. The Kha'zir had likely turned them into hybrids, just like the others. But if there was a chance, even a slim one, that they could bring any of their people back, she wasn’t going to leave them behind.
“We’ll get it done,” Daniels said, her voice firm.
Milner gave a curt nod. “Good. You leave at 0600. Dismissed.”
----------------------------------------
As the team filed out of the briefing room, Daniels lingered behind, her thoughts heavy. Maddox was out, the mission was a suicide run, and they were going up against an enemy that was smarter, faster, and more ruthless than ever.
But there was no other choice.
She wouldn’t let this galaxy fall… not to the Kha'zir, and not to the traitors who had sold them out.
With one final glance at the closed infirmary doors, Daniels took a deep breath. She’d fight for Maddox. For the fallen. For all of them.
The war was far from over, and TFO-1 wasn’t going down without a fight.
Captain Daniels stood outside the infirmary doors for a long moment, staring at the glowing red light that indicated "Surgery in Progress." The hum of activity within Stargate Command buzzed around her, but all she could think about was Maddox, her right hand, her anchor in countless missions. Without him, the weight of the upcoming operation seemed even heavier.
The sound of footsteps brought her back to reality. Lieutenant Colonel Hale approached, his crisp uniform and determined expression setting him apart from the rest of the bustling base. Daniels had worked with him before. He was competent, strategic, and cold. He’d get the job done… but he wasn’t Maddox.
"Captain," Hale greeted, his voice neutral, though there was an air of command behind it. "I’ve been briefed on the mission."
Daniels nodded, offering a firm handshake. "Glad to have you on board, Hale. You’ve got big shoes to fill, but I trust you can handle it."
Hale’s expression didn’t shift. "I’ll do what’s needed. I’ve already reviewed the intel on P4X-218. It’s going to be rough, but if we strike fast, we can destabilize their command structure before the mercenaries can fully integrate with the Kha'zir."
"Good. We’ll need to hit them hard and disappear before they even know we were there," Daniels said, her mind already spinning through the tactical details of the mission. Her focus sharpened, but she could feel the tension building between them. "Are you ready?"
"Always," Hale replied, his eyes narrowing slightly. "But let’s get one thing straight, Daniels. I’m not here to be Maddox. I’m here to win this war."
Daniels stopped, her expression hardening as she locked eyes with him. She took a step closer, her voice cold but firm. "And let me make one thing clear, Hale… you may not be Maddox, but you’re under my command. You follow my orders. Is that understood?"
Hale’s jaw tightened, and for a brief moment, the tension between them crackled like static. His pride was wounded, that much was obvious. He wasn’t used to being told how to handle a mission, especially by someone with Daniels’ reputation. But he kept his tone even, though there was a flash of defiance in his eyes. "Understood, Captain. But don’t expect me to stand by if your orders put us at risk."
Daniels held his gaze, unflinching. "I don’t expect anything less, Hale. But in the field, I call the shots. You don’t have to like it, but you will follow it. We’re not here to make friends, we’re here to win. And I don’t have time to babysit egos."
Hale gave a sharp nod, his face a mask of restrained frustration. "Understood. I’ll follow your orders." His voice was clipped, his eyes narrowing. "But don’t mistake me for someone who doesn’t know how to get things done."
"Good," Daniels said, her voice flat but final. "We leave at 0600. Get the team prepped."
Without another word, Hale turned on his heel and disappeared down the hallway, his footsteps echoing in the distance. Daniels stood still for a moment, watching him go. She knew he wasn’t happy being second in command on this mission, but she didn’t care. There was no room for conflict in the field. They had a job to do, and she needed every person on her team focused and disciplined.
She took one last glance at the infirmary doors where Maddox lay, then exhaled slowly, pushing the thought aside. There wasn’t time to linger. The mission waited, and the Kha'zir weren’t going to stop for anyone.
----------------------------------------
SGC Armory - 0500 Hours.
The mood in the armory was tense. Daniels could feel the weight of what lay ahead pressing down on all of them. The team was focused, checking weapons, adjusting gear, and preparing for the mission, but the absence of Maddox was palpable.
Lieutenant Colonel Hale was already in the armory, overseeing the final preparations. He moved through the space like a ghost, his presence a constant reminder that things were different now. Daniels watched him briefly, noting the way he interacted with the team, efficient, no wasted words, no unnecessary interactions.
As she strapped on her tactical vest, Kane approached, her face lined with concern. “How’s Maddox?” she asked quietly, her voice just above a whisper.
Daniels didn’t break stride as she secured her gear. “He’s stable, but it’s going to be a long recovery. He’s out of commission for this one.”
Kane nodded, her expression tight. “It’s not going to be the same without him.”
“I know,” Daniels replied, her voice soft but firm. “But we’re not stopping. He’d be the first to kick our asses if we let this slow us down.”
Kane smirked at that, but the tension remained. “You think Hale’s up for it?”
Daniels paused, glancing across the room at Hale, who was inspecting his pulse rifle. “He’s not Maddox, but he’s a damn good officer. We’ll make it work.”
Kane gave a small nod, though the worry in her eyes didn’t fade. “Guess we’ll find out soon enough.”
----------------------------------------
P4X-218 – Kha'zir Stronghold,.
The stargate on P4X-218 crackled to life as Task Force Orion emerged into the harsh, icy landscape. Unlike the heat of P3X-897, this world was cold and unforgiving. Jagged cliffs stretched out in every direction, and a brutal wind howled through the valleys, carrying with it the scent of something foul, something unnatural.
Daniels crouched low as soon as she exited the gate, her eyes sweeping the area for signs of enemy patrols. The intel had been clear, P4X-218 was one of the Kha'zir’s major command centers, heavily fortified and dangerous. But what the intel hadn’t mentioned was the overwhelming feeling of dread that hung in the air. Something about this place felt wrong, like they were walking straight into the mouth of the beast.
“Cold as hell,” Reilly muttered under her breath, her breath forming small clouds in the freezing air. She shivered as she adjusted the settings on her scanner, searching for the Kha'zir bio-signatures.
Fox was already moving silently along the perimeter, his rifle raised and ready. “No immediate contacts,” he whispered through the comms. “But that doesn’t mean we’re alone.”
“We won’t be,” Daniels replied, her voice low but clear. “Hale, take point with Kane. We’ll follow.”
Hale gave a curt nod and signaled for Kane to follow. The team moved quickly, navigating the rocky terrain with the precision of seasoned soldiers. The Kha'zir stronghold was located deep within a series of underground caverns, making it nearly impenetrable from the surface. But that was where the element of surprise came in. If they could get in undetected, they had a chance.
As they neared the entrance to the caverns, Reilly’s scanner pinged, her face paling. “I’ve got movement,” she said, her voice tense. “And it’s not just Kha'zir.”
Daniels tensed, motioning for the team to take cover behind a series of jagged rocks. “Mercenaries?”
Reilly nodded, her eyes glued to the scanner. “Human bio-signatures. A lot of them.”
Daniels swore under her breath. The mercenaries had fully integrated with the Kha'zir forces. This was worse than they thought.
“We take them out before they can sound the alarm,” Hale said, his voice calm but filled with determination. “We don’t have the luxury of stealth anymore.”
Daniels agreed. They had no choice now. “Fox, take the high ground. Kane, cover our six. Reilly, stay close and monitor comms. Hale and I will hit them head-on.”
Without another word, the team moved into position. Fox melted into the shadows of the rocks, his rifle already trained on the incoming patrol. Daniels took a deep breath, steeling herself for the fight to come.
Then, with a single nod, she gave the order.
“Go.”
The first shot rang out like a whisper of death, Fox’s silenced rifle doing its lethal work with precision. The mercenary never stood a chance, one moment he was walking, scanning the area with practiced eyes, and the next, a single round pierced his skull. Blood sprayed in a dark arc as the mercenary crumpled silently to the ground, his lifeless body twitching once before going still. For a heartbeat, there was only silence, and then chaos erupted.
The rest of the Kha'zir-human patrol scattered, shouts of alarm filling the air as they dove for cover behind rocks and jagged terrain. But Daniels and Hale were already charging in, weapons raised, fingers tight on the triggers.
Daniels fired in short, controlled bursts, her pulse rifle kicking against her shoulder as each round found its mark. The first target, a mercenary trying to take aim, caught three rounds in the chest. His armor barely slowed the shots as the high-velocity rounds ripped through flesh and bone, his body jerking backward before collapsing in a heap. Another Kha'zir soldier lunged toward her, its elongated limbs reaching out like claws. She didn’t hesitate, her finger squeezing the trigger in quick succession, rounds tearing through its torso in a spray of thick, green ichor. The creature let out a guttural screech before crumpling to the ground, its alien blood steaming in the cold air.
Beside her, Hale was moving with the cold efficiency of a seasoned soldier, his pulse rifle spitting death with each calculated shot. His face was set in grim concentration as he fired at a Kha'zir hybrid that darted out from cover. The creature moved fast, but not fast enough, Hale’s shot hit it square in the head, the impact sending its skull splintering into pieces, alien fluids splashing against the rocks. Another mercenary, trying to reposition, caught Hale’s attention next. Without missing a beat, Hale’s rifle barked twice, the rounds punching through the man’s neck and dropping him into the dirt with a sickening thud.
“On your left!” Kane’s voice crackled through the comms, sharp and urgent.
Daniels spun, her pulse rifle coming up just in time to see a group of mercenaries and Kha'zir hybrids advancing from the left flank. Kane’s suppressive fire forced the group to retreat behind cover, their weapons firing wildly as they scrambled to avoid being pinned down.
Daniels’ heart pounded, each breath sharp and cold in her lungs. She lined up her next shot, taking out two mercenaries with a swift burst of fire. The first went down with a scream, blood spraying from his chest as he fell to his knees before collapsing face-first into the dirt. The second mercenary tried to fire back, but her shot hit him clean in the throat, his hands instinctively flying to his neck as blood gushed between his fingers. He gargled a desperate sound before his eyes rolled back, and he dropped next to his fallen comrade.
Everywhere she looked, more enemies appeared from the shadows, relentless in their pursuit, their numbers swelling with each second. The air was thick with gunfire, the constant barrage of bullets ricocheting off the rocky terrain. Daniels could feel the pressure mounting, her instincts screaming that they were being overwhelmed.
“They’re swarming us!” Reilly’s panicked voice broke through the chaos, her breath coming in rapid bursts. “We’re outnumbered!”
Daniels’ mind raced. They couldn’t hold this position much longer. She gritted her teeth, fighting through the adrenaline coursing through her veins. "We need to move now!" she shouted, firing into another advancing group of hybrids. The rounds ripped through their mutated bodies, limbs flying off in a gruesome display of torn flesh and bone as they fell in heaps of alien blood.
“Hale, take point!” Daniels ordered, her voice steady despite the chaos. “Lead us into the caverns, now!”
Hale nodded without hesitation, already moving forward. He dropped another Kha'zir soldier with a clean shot to the chest, the alien’s body jerking as it collapsed in a pool of its own greenish-black blood. “On me!” he barked, motioning for the team to follow as he charged ahead.
Reilly, her fingers shaking but moving fast, worked to jam the enemy’s comms. Her scanner beeped rapidly as she tapped into the Kha'zir communications network, cutting off their ability to call for reinforcements. “Already on it!” she shouted, ducking behind cover as bullets whizzed overhead.
The team pushed forward as one, falling into a tight formation as they advanced toward the entrance of the caverns. Daniels fired another burst, taking out a mercenary who had popped out of cover, his body slamming against the rock wall, leaving a streak of red as he slid to the ground. Her heart pounded in her chest, the cold air biting at her skin, but she pressed on.
The Kha'zir forces regrouped, hybrids and mercenaries alike pouring from every direction, their weapons lighting up the darkness. But Daniels and her team kept moving, carving a bloody path through the enemy ranks as they fought their way toward the caverns.
Hale nodded and signaled for the team to move. They pressed forward, cutting through the remaining forces and making their way to the entrance of the underground stronghold. The cold, metal doors loomed ahead, ominous and foreboding.
As they breached the doors, Daniels felt the weight of the mission pressing down on her. They were heading straight into the heart of the enemy, with no backup and no chance of retreat.
And somewhere, deep within the Kha'zir command center, the missing TFO teams, or what was left of them… waited.
This was it. No turning back.
The war for the galaxy was about to take a dark, irreversible turn.