"Any questions?"
Colonel Jack O'Neill looked out over the large briefing room as nineteen men – well, eighteen plus Carter – shook their heads at him. Man, he loved tactical briefings.
"Okay. Then as a final word, I want to remind you – this is rogue N.I.D. we're talking about. They have already infiltrated this planet and made themselves at home, and we don't really know what's in that warehouse. Keep your heads up and your eyes out for each other. Clear?"
"Yes, sir!" they said as one.
"Good. We leave in an hour. Dismissed."
The room quickly cleared, and Carter stepped up to the podium to disconnect the laptop Jack had been using from the video screens behind it. "Nicely done, sir," she said.
"Thanks, Carter. Strategy is the one thing I'm supposed to be good at, after all."
"Being a good tactician and sharing that knowledge with others don't necessarily go together, sir. Colonel Berkshire at the Academy was brilliant, but his lectures…" She shook her head sadly.
He chuckled, but quickly turned serious. "You ready for this, Carter?"
"To leap through the gate into danger without really knowing what we're getting ourselves into? I never thought I'd say this, but it's becoming sort of old hat, sir. I just hope we're wrong."
Two days ago, the SGC had received information – from an anonymous source, of course – that the N.I.D. had set up a research facility on P4C-672. In it, the source claimed, they were trying to create programmable replicators.
"What?" Sam had exclaimed.
"And how the hell did they get to another planet?" That had been Daniel.
Jack had just shrugged at that. "Blame the Russians."
"But they can't… That's not… What the hell are they thinking?" Carter had stuttered. "The last thing we need is an army of replicators that close to Earth."
"Let alone an army of replicators working for the N.I.D.," Jack had put in with a wry smile.
"No, sir. They can't be controlled. We've seen that," she'd insisted.
"Well, then… I guess we'll just have to stop them, Carter."
Over the two days since, O'Neill and General Hammond had put together a plan to siege the building and destroy whatever technology and intel the N.I.D. was storing there. If the N.I.D. succeeded in building replicators, there would be trouble.
In the next hour, the SGC would be embarking on a mission that could help save the galaxy. And somehow, that too was no longer surprising.
~/~
O'Neill moved swiftly along one of the hallways in the massive, open warehouse, weapon at the ready. The infiltration had gone well on their end, with only minor injuries, but there were additional agents scattered throughout the building, they knew. SG-1 and the two marine teams were sweeping the building, hall by hall, while SG-11 and SG-15 dismantled the lab they'd found.
Jack would willingly tell anyone that this was his least favorite part of his job. Creeping down hallways (or alleys or forests, for that matter) hunting down men who knew the territory and had ample time to find hiding places with good vantage points was never, ever fun.
Part of him wanted to just burn the research and run, but he knew that if they didn't round up all the agents now, they'd pop up again soon enough. And who knew what they'd be up to then?
The colonel came to a side hallway and stopped, looking through the darkness. The main hall was empty, but this one was full of crates and doors. Lots of hiding spaces. But as much as he wanted to check it out, crossing the main hall meant leaving the shelter of the second floor overhang. He knew he should call for backup. Should.
Cautiously, Jack checked in all directions and darted across the hallway, slamming his back to the opposite wall and sweeping his weapon across the second floor railing. It was empty. He swung into the side hall, weapon first, and started slowly making his way down it, clearing every nook and cranny before moving on to the next.
A light was on, spilling out from beneath a closed door. He checked the area, then swiftly knocked the door open. The room was clear.
He had to admit, he was a little disappointed. He had yet to shoot an N.I.D. agent today, and he found that a bit sad. He left the room and was about to continue his sweep when he heard a board crack behind him.
"Colonel!"
A bullet whizzed past his ear, followed by a groan and a crack from behind him. He swung around to find an agent lying on the floor, his gun several feet away. Spinning toward the direction of the shot, he found Carter standing on the second floor balcony.
"You okay, sir?" she called.
"Nice shot, Carter. You almost took my head off." But he was grinning.
She put a hand over her mouth, wide-eyed, playing innocent. "Oops." Then she got serious again. "The west side of the building is clear, sir. Give me a minute, and I'll join you."
"Sounds good."
She made her way carefully toward the steps as the colonel moved back toward the main hallway. He put his back up against the wall again and ran his gaze along the balcony, starting off in the black and moving toward her.
Sam intended to meet his eyes with a smile, but his gaze jumped the last ten feet straight to her, and his face hardened as his weapon came up. "Carter!"
Tensing, Carter brought her weapon up as she spun around. She just barely caught sight of the pipe as it slammed into the side of her head.
"No!" Jack cried as Sam's body twisted and melted to the floor. It exposed her attacker, and the colonel fired off two rounds, dropping the man. Then he was running, moving faster than his old legs were supposed to carry him. She was okay, he told himself with every step. She'd be okay.
But she was face down, still, and his breath caught as he knelt beside her. "Carter," he whispered, hands shaking as he took her shoulders and rolled her gently into his lap. "Carter, wake up," he pleaded. "Come on." Her head lolled vacantly against his chest.
The left side of her face was covered in blood, and behind her temple, the bone was sunken. His free hand moved shakily over her, desperately seeking some way to help her. His heart was so tight in his chest that it hurt. "No. No, no, no…."
"Jack?" Daniel was down the hallway, but moving fast. "We heard shots. You okay?"
He reached them, took one look at Carter, and stopped dead. "Oh, my God," he said softly.
"We must return Major Carter to the SGC, Colonel O'Neill," Teal'c spoke up behind them.
Jack didn't move, didn't acknowledge them, his eyes glued to his 2IC. "Teal'c, get her," Daniel finally ordered, then grabbed his radio. "Colonel Reynolds, this is Daniel. Sam's injured. Badly."
"Do you need assistance, Dr. Jackson?" Reynolds' voice crackled back.
"No, SG-1 is gonna fall back to the gate."
"SG Leader, this is Reynolds. Are you copying this?"
He meant Jack, but the man wasn't listening at all. Teal'c was already carrying Sam toward the exit, but Colonel O'Neill hadn't moved. "Jack's a little occupied right now," Daniel answered. "I guess you're in charge."
"Acknowledged. Godspeed, Dr. Jackson."
As he pulled his best friend off the floor, he was grateful for the little prayer. He was pretty certain they were going to need everything they could get.