BEACHHEAD

09.06 Episode 180
Airdate: August 19, 2005

The Jaffa of Kallana refuse to embrace the Ori as gods, but a Prior warns that the planet will serve the Ori's purpose, and through the power of his staff, a force field envelopes a dome around the gate. Meanwhile, the SGC is visited by Nerus, a minor Goa'uld known for his treachery and his many appetites, who proposes an alliance with Earth. Nerus warns that the anomaly on Kallana signals the formation of an Ori beachhead in our galaxy, and he urges the SGC to destroy it. Carter returns to rejoin the team, and in Prometheus they proceed to Kallana, armed with a nuclear warhead.

At Kallana the team discovers that the force field is expanding, and the toxic atmosphere within the dome has destroyed all life except for the Prior at the active stargate. Protected by space suits, they beam to the planet's surface with the warhead, but attempts to negotiate with the Prior fail. Suddenly, a fleet of ha'tak vessels arrives under the command of Gerak, the new Jaffa leader, and as the fleet fires on the planet, the team activates the weapon and departs. Too late, they realize that the force field feeds upon the energy of their weapons, and in the final expansion phase the force field engulfs the planet.

From Kallana's stargate, objects emerge and accelerate into orbit, forming an enormous ring large enough for the passage of an entire armada, and the planet begins to collapse into a micro-singularity capable of powering the "supergate" from the Ori galaxy indefinitely. Acting on her own, Vala commandeers a cargo ship and pilots it into the position of the ring's final link, disrupting the energy field holding them together. As the singularity forms, the energy wave shatters the supergate. The enemy beachhead has been destroyed, but Vala has vanished, perhaps into a matter stream drawn into the Ori galaxy.

Written by: Brad Wright
Directed by: Brad Turner

Guest Starring: Claudia Black as Vala Mal Doran, Barclay Hope as Colonel Pendergast, Gary Jones as Sergeant Harriman, Maury Chaykin as Nerus, Louis Gossett Jr. as Gerak, Ian Butcher as Prior, Martin Christopher as Lt. Marks, Donald Adams as Latal, Eileen Barrett as Birra, Dan Shea as Sergeant Siler

Reference: Asgard Transport Beam, BC-303, Birra, Black Hole, Samantha Carter, Force Field, Gerak, Hazmat, Holographic Projection, Kallana, Kor Mak, Latal, Vala Mal Doran, Mark IX, Major Marks, Naquadria, Nerus, Ori, Origin, Lionel Pendergast, Prior, Prior Staff, Prometheus, Shaft, Sergeant Siler, Stargate, Supergate, Teltac

DESTINATIONS & INHABITANTS

NOTES OF INTEREST

• Carter returns on temporary assignment for the mission to Kallana.
• Carter was part of the team at Area 51 that developed the Mark IX, a multi-gigaton naquadria-enhanced nuclear warhead.
• The effect of the Kor Mak bracelets joining Daniel and Vala physiologically is gradually wearing off.
• Mitchell's call sign is "Shaft," referring to "Cam Shaft."
• Nerus was a minor Goa'uld who served Ba'al for many centuries, known for his invention of Goa'uld technologies and for his many appetites.
• The supergate has a diameter of approximately 300 to 400 meters. It is powered by a black hole in the Ori galaxy, linked to the planet Kallana that has been collapsed into a micro-singularity in order to maintain an open wormhole between galaxies indefinitely as a permanent beachhead for the invasion of our galaxy.
• Vala was probably drawn into the Ori galaxy.

MEMORABLE REMARKS

• What do you say we go with the idea that I'm in charge, and I've asked a simple question. [Landry]
• Most of the System Lords were killed by the Replicators, then we defeated the Replicators... [Daniel]
  Wow, we look cool. [Mitchell]
  Don't let it go to your head. [Landry]
• How good is this? Got the band back together! [Mitchell]
  Yeah, so, what's with the extra backup singer? [Carter]
• A little less talk, a little more shut-the-hell-up. [Daniel]
• My God, it's enormous! Not everything I say is innuendo. [Vala]
• We should be able to punch through with our transport beam. [Carter]
  And if not? [Vala]
  Then we're all dressed up with nowhere to go. [Mitchell]
• That's it? I just gave them 30 minutes. 29 minutes. [Mitchell]
  "Earth minutes." [Daniel]
  Yeah, I always wanted to say that. [Mitchell]

FOR THE RECORD