Gauntlet (Stargate Universe)

The Gauntlet was a failsafe protocol activated aboard the Ancient spaceship Destiny in the Stargate Universe television series. It represents the final autonomous defense mechanism of the ship, triggered only when the survival of Destiny itself is critically threatened.

When initiated, the Gauntlet essentially shuts down all non-essential systems and reroutes all available power to the ship's shields and weapons. This hyper-focus on defense and offense prioritizes the vessel's preservation above all else, including the well-being of its human crew. Navigation is automated to escape immediate danger, often resulting in unpredictable jumps to new galaxies. The Gauntlet activation sequence also isolates the crew, limiting their access to crucial ship functions and potentially placing them in stasis pods to conserve resources.

The purpose of the Gauntlet is to ensure the continuation of Destiny's primary mission: to seed Stargates throughout the universe and follow the signal discovered in the Stargate address embedded within the cosmic microwave background radiation. It is a last resort measure designed to keep the ship functioning long enough to complete this mission, even if it means enduring extreme conditions and jeopardizing the lives of those aboard. The duration of the Gauntlet mode is not predetermined and can last for an extended period depending on the nature and persistence of the threat.