Disclaimer: Anything you recognize is not mine.

In a beam of blue light, the first chevron activated. "What's going on?" Woolsey inquired as he moved to stand behind Chuck, "No teams are scheduled to come back for at least a few days."

"I don't know, Sir, it's not any of our teams." Chuck responded as the following seven chevrons locked. "Unscheduled off-world activation!"

"Raise the shield," Woolsey commanded.

Chuck typed a command. "It's not working."

"What do you mean it's not working!" came an acerbic voice. "Out of the way." With that, McKay took Chuck's chair and typed a quick set of instructions. His face fell, "It's not working."

"We've heard," said Woolsey as he turned to address the squadron, "Raise your weapons!"

In a split second, the defense team was gathered round the gate with P-90s pointed towards the luminescent pool. There was moment of tense anticipation. Suddenly, the gate spewed out two young girls clad in identical military uniforms. Their arms shot up into the air as soon as they registered the dozen guns pointed at them. "Don't shoot!" Cried one of the girls, her eyes wide with surprise and fear. The color drained from her round, freckled face as she looked around the room. "Please, we're not armed!" The girl next to her merely looked down at the floor with a grave face and said nothing.

"Who are you?" Woolsey addressed the two frightened girls with a rather softened voice, but his face was no less stern.

"My name is Rachel Beauvoir," answered the first girl, "and this is Marie McKay." Woolsey raised an eyebrow at the latter's name, while Rodney looked up so fast his neck cracked.

"Well, this has certainly turned interesting," drawled Sheppard. "Got anything you wanna tell us, Rodney?"

"What? No!" Squawked McKay, "I know as much you do right now. Which is both unprecedented and unnerving, I might add."

Sheppard rolled his eyes with a small smile before turning to Woolsey, his face suddenly serious. "The sole fact that they could disable our shield makes them an immediate threat. We need to find out how they did that."

Woolsey nodded. "I agree. I do believe an interrogation is in order. " He turned to look back at McKay. "Dr. McKay, please find out exactly what happened and report back as soon as possible."

McKay made a noise of acknowledgment, snatched his laptop, and left the room.

Woolsey turned to address the defense team. "Escort our guests to the isolation rooms. Colonel Sheppard, I'd like you run the interrogation."

"Will do," answered Sheppard as he, from habit, put a hand his side arm.

"Oh, and uh," Woolsey added, looking down at Sheppard's hand, "try to avoid a physical confrontation. They're just children, after all."

Sheppard found the object of Woolsey's gaze and dropped his hand immediately. "Of course. I know that."

"Good. We will begin at 1800 hours."