Forlorn Hope.
Disclaimer: I do not own Stargate SG-1, X-Files or any of its characters. They belong to their respective owners and creators. Forlorn Hope and its characters are my ideas.
A forlorn hope is a band of soldiers or other combatants chosen to take the leading part in a military operation, such as an assault on a defended position, where the risk of casualties is high. In the days of muzzle-loading muskets, it was most frequently used to refer to the first wave of soldiers attacking a breach in defenses during a siege. It was likely that most members of the forlorn hope would be killed or wounded. The intention was that some would survive long enough to seize a foothold that could be reinforced, or at least that a second wave with better prospects could be sent in while the defenders were reloading or engaged in mopping up the remnants of the first wave. By extension, the term forlorn hope became used for any body of troops placed in a hazardous position; e.g. an exposed outpost, or the defenders of an outwork in advance of the main defensive position.
Chapter 1:
Sergeant Michael 'Achilles' Stone, watched as a balding older man sat down besides Whitlow. Keeping watch on the two men covertly for a short distance away from the bench where the two men were seated, while also at the some time keeping an eye out for any operatives of the NID or the syndicate, who might have followed Whitlow or the man he was meeting in the park.
Whitlow knew that operatives from Forlorn Hope were there, yet he didn't know who or how many there were, he had orders to keep his cover within the NID, at all cost.
"Whitlow!" The voice came over the microphone a hint a an Texas accent, what Whitlow had activated ten minutes earlier.
"George!" Stone wondered who George was.
Stone watched covertly as the two men talked; an earpiece in his right ear so he could hear what the two were talking about. The rest of his team was scattered around the park, covering every entrance into it and to keep a lookout for any NID agents or Syndicate goons.
After a few minutes, Whitlow gave George, a cryptic answer. Stone desided to follow the lead.
An undisclosed location, Utah. Classified NID Airstrip, Hanger. 1998
Stone was dressed in black BDU with a balaclava over his face, of his team he was the only one keeping watch into the hanger were four NID goons were working near a large crater and a van.
Stone was itching to take out the men, which he could easily do with his silenced Colt 933 5.56mm assault rifle, he was less than a hundred meters from the furthers NID goon. These men were amateurs, to allow eight men to get this close to them without them knowing about it, even if the Forlorn Hope operatives were among the best in the world. But to not noticing an individual that was less than a hundred meters away from them was just plain, fucking stupid. These men were a disgrace to anyone in the covert ops community.
Stone's contempt for the NID agents was only increased when four armed people dressed in green and black military gear entered the hanger from the opposite end that Stone was situated in. Watching was the four advanced on the three NID agents, Stone was impressed with the groups discipline and orderly conduct in the advance. Well three of them anyway, the fourth showed some natural talents. The leader of the four, seemed some what familiar to Stone, but he could not place him.
The three NID agents were surprised by the people who seem to have gotten complete control of the situation, but Stone was waiting for the action of the fourth NID agent, within the shadows off where he was hiding Stone readied his Colt 933. He would kill the Agent, to save the lives of the people that entered the hanger even if that meant making them aware of his presents.
A strange sound could suddenly be heard in the hanger, like something was spinning and then locking into place repeatedly. Stone had never heard sounds like these. But the four people that had entered the hanger seem to recognize them and began to react.
Then something shot up into the air out of the closed crater in the middle of the hanger; it seemed to Stone to be water. Then it came back down and made a poll of simmering water within the crater.
Never before had Stone seem such a thing.
As Stone was trying to wrap his head around what this was, the four NID agents turned to race to the crater and jumped into the poll and within moment, they and it disappeared.
"O'Neill!" The large black man with a strange gold tattoo on his forehead, called out.
When Stone heard the name, he looked more closely at the man leading the team. It was now clear to him why the man was so familiar, Stone had meet the man often years ago, before the family feud had escalated. This was his mother's younger brother, Jonathan O'Neill, Jack as he was called. It had been sixteen years since Stone had last seen his uncle, but now he knew who he was and where he worked at, this was information that Stone would keep to himself, it always paid to have an ace in your pocket that your friends and allies didn't know about, especially in this game.
As Stone was scrutinizing his uncle, Teal'c, felt that there was someone else in the hanger, his Jaffa senses had not noticed this before, when the NID agent's were in the hanger, but shortly after the gate had shut down, his senses had felt that there was someone else here. Scanning the hanger, Teal'c could not see anything or anybody at first, yet his feeling only intensified at this. Lifting up his zat'ni'katel, trying to find what was bothering him.
Stone watched as the large black man began to scan the hanger with a guarded look in his eyes, his weapon at ready, within moment Stone realized that the man somehow seemed to knew of Stone presents here. His uncle and the woman, in the team, were catch on quick and began to look for what was troubling their team mate.
Knowing that it would be mere moment until he was discovered, Stone jumped down from his hiding place. Landing on his feet, his Colt 933 at his shoulder, Stone fired at the four, taking care to not hit any of them.
As he was firing, Stone walked backwards, heading towards the backdoor.
Teal'c noticed as a shadow move, a figure in black as it was dropped, raising his weapon to fire on the figure as it landed, but just as he was about to fire, he was forced to take cover, for the figure was firing at them almost before it landed.
Watching over the rim of the crater as the figure backed towards a small door, Teal'c, O'Neill and Carter, were unable to get the chance to return fire on the figure. Daniel lay on the floor, holding the Touch Stone. Each shot that came their way was precise, forcing them to keep their heads down, yet failed to hit any of them, splitting the wood of the crater and damaging the truck the NID agent had used under the DHD.
When Stone had five meters to the door, his Colt 933 carbine ran dry, and with practice fast draw he switched to his pistol, a modified Heckler & Koch USP tactical 45, from its tactical holster.
O'Neill felt the momentary lull in the shooting and tried to rise to get a beat on the intruder, but was force to duck back down, as the pistol fire came their way.
Stone fired the twelve rounds he had in the magazine, plus the one in the pipe, at the crater to keep their heads down, backing as he did, as he fired the last round, he stepped out the door and vanished from the view of the four inside the hanger.
He was hardly out of the door when return fire came screaming from the three, splinting the door where Stone had just escaped through and hanger wall where it was.
Stone sprinted away as fast as he could away from the hanger, towards where his team was waiting for him, in hidden positions. Reloading his weapon's as he ran. Diving into the dugout position under the camo covers.
Teal'c and O'Neill advanced towards the door to which the figure had escaped through; both kept their weapons on the doorway. Carter waited with Daniel and the Touch Stone.
Coming to the doorway, O'Neill first peaked out, trying to catch a glimpse of their intruder, there was none, it was like the man had just disappeared into thin air.
Both men walked out of the hanger, keeping a wary eye out, weapons at ready.
"O'Neill! This individual seems to be different from the other NID agents we encountered!" Teal'c said with a hint of admiration in his serious voice.
"Don't I know it, T!" O'Neill said thoughtfully, taking a look around. "There is something at work here, something we are not seeing!"
Teal'c turned to look at the Air Force Colonel. "What are you referring to, O'Neill?"
"He had us dead to right, when we were advancing on the NID guy's. There was no cover, the only thing we had going for us was surprise. Why didn't he warn the others? What was his mission?" O'Neill said as he checked the magazine of his MP5A2, before inserting a fresh one.
"Indeed!" Teal'c took another look around.
After a moment, O'Neill spoke up again. "Let's get back to Carter and Daniel, and call in the cavalry to secure the second gate and this facility."
Stone watched as his uncle and his companion came out of the hanger door.
"Boss, if you had been one second slower, they would have caught you!" Stone second in command, Sergeant Adam "Hercules" Kingston said as he kept his M60E4 machinegun on the two men by the hanger, about hundred meters away from them.
Stone moved around so he would look better back at the hanger, careful not disturb the camo net. "Yeah, well!"
"Want me to end this?" Kingston asked.
"No! They are not involved with the NID!" Stone said urgently without taking his eyes of the pair by the hanger, placing his left hand on the machinegun.
Kingston spared Stone a brief look of surprise, before continuing to watch the two men conversing by the hanger.
Stone kept his eyes on his uncle, memorizing his face and that of his companion, until they entered the hanger again. They would meet again.
The SGC(Area Fifty-two), Level twenty-seven, Major General's George Hammond's Office.
Colonel O'Neill, Teal'c and Hammond, were seated in the General's office, with its doors locked and with strict order's that they were not to be disturbed. Master Sergeant Walter Harriman, had been ordered to see to it that nobody tried to contact the general, except in a case of an emergency or if the President called or the Joint Chiefs.
"Sir, the four men that went through the second gate, were NID black ops, that is undisputed! But the fifth man in the hanger, I don't believe that he was in any way connected with the NID!" O'Neill said where he sat in front to the left of the general's desk. "From what I have been able to ascertain it seems like he was observing the NID agent. He was there for some time, before we arrived there."
Teal'c bowed his head slightly. "I must concur, with O'Neill. This individual seemed to be a much higher quality warrior than the cowardly NID agents!" Teal'c said his calm deep voice, again the hint of admiration.
"But the matter still stands, this individual, whoever he may be, opened fire on you team!" Hammond argued with the two men.
"I …"
"General Hammond …" Teal'c and O'Neill began at the same time.
Teal'c and O'Neill looked at each other, and then O'Neill indicated the Teal'c should proceed. At the Jaffa bowed his head briefly, before continuing.
"General Hammond, this unknown warrior seemed to be keeping watch on the NID agent's like O'Neill said. This individual did not act until it became clear that I knew of his presents. And was searching for him!"
"Perhaps, he didn't notice you until it was too late!" Hammond stated, unconvincingly, even to his own ears.
"Sir, if I may!" O'Neill said. "We found thirty .223 casings and thirteen .45ACP casings on the floor near where the intruder left." O'Neill handed the general two different casings. "You know which unit of the Armed forces favors this type of .223 and the .45? Plus the marksmanship was superior! Plus the fact that there were no fingerprints on the casings."
Hammond looked the casing over briefly, then looked intensely at O'Neill. "What are you implying? Colonel!"
O'Neill took a moment before replying. "Sir! You said just a few days ago that you felt that some parties didn't come forward, during the discussion on how to precede in use the stargate. What if this is an agent of one of these parties?"
Hammond looked closely at his second-in-command. "Someone else that the NID?" He said thoughtfully.
"Yes, sir. There could be a number factions for all we know, all who might want control of the gate!" O'Neill replied. "All with their own hidden agendas!"
Hammond nodded, the unease apparent in his eyes. "You could be right, Colonel. But this could also be something else, this could have been a mercenary for all we know."
"I do not believe so, General Hammond!" Teal'c replied.
Hammond looked at the Jaffa for a moment, and then motioned for Teal'c to continue.
"I sensed a man who is dedicated, a warrior to his core. Not a man of flimsy alliances, this man I feel, his word is his honor!"
Hammond took a moment to think it through. "Gentlemen, if you are right, we will need to leave the incident out the official records!"
"It is probably best for now, sir!" O'Neill said as he took back the casing from Hammond. "I will talk with Carter and Daniel!"
"Dismissed!" Hammond went back to his paperwork, as O'Neill and Teal'c left the office.
As they were walking through the briefing room, Teal'c felt compelled to ask.
"O'Neill, what did you mean by the remark that the marksmanship had been superior? He did not hit us!" The Jaffa was complexed by this.
"T, my Jaffa friend! He wasn't trying to hit us; I believe that he was only shooting at us to force us to keep our heads down!" O'Neill said as the came to the spiral staircase and went down to the control room, where Carter and Daniel working.
Undisclosed location, Office building, New York.
Stone walked into the office, Kingston was trailing in behind him, keeping the door open and taking up a guarded position where he could see the hallway, yet not be seen.
The office windows were not covered, yet no one could seem into the space, the glass was made out of special glass preventing anyone from using parabolic microphones or seeing into the room. The office was swept before each meeting and at undetermined times. A single desk was situated in the office, along with two chairs, one of them was occupied.
"Sergeant!" the voice said with sarcasm, a hint of aristocratic arrogance was evident in the man voice.
"Captain Trilling!" Stone voice was neutral, giving not a hint of dislike or like, could be detected in the sergeant's voice.
Stone refused to take the chair, referring to stand.
"You really screwed up in Utah. The Old Man is not satisfied with you report on the incident in Utah!" Trilling took joy in dressing down, what he felt was a upstart sergeant. An Officer should be leading a team, not a sergeant, in Trilling's view.
"If the Old Man has any complains, he can tell me himself." Stone said in the same tone of voice as before, not in the least bit worried about what Trilling had to say or could do.
Trilling shot out of his chair, his hands resting on the desk as he leaned forward. "Sergeant, you are addressing a superior officer!"
Stone's only reply was the lifting on the right side of his lip, continuing to stare at the Captain.
"Sergeant, you should be careful! I can have you suspended!" Trilling threatened, angered by the man's refusal to show him any respect.
"Try it!" Stone challenged, his distaste for the officer now evident in his voice.
"Sergeant!" Trilling tried yet again, to get control of the situation.
"Tell the Old Man, that if he wishes to discuss my operations, to do it himself, not the send some of his pet poddles!" With that Stone turned and walked towards the door, signaling Kingston to go out first.
Walking behind the British sergeant, Stone could hear as Trilling screamed for his return, ranting and raving.
As they were approaching the elevators, Stone heard a ding, as the elevator stopped on the floor where they were. The two men's reaction was instant, and before the door of the elevator had opened even an inch, their weapons were out and the men using what cover they had. There was no need for any communication; the two men were so used to work together.
Stone pulled out his Heckler & Koch USP-45 Tactical with a silencer already attached.
Kingston pulled out a Sig-Sauer P226, also attached with a silencer.
Both men had their weapons trained on the elevator doors.
As the door opened, both men were ready, their fingers on the trigger.
The doors opened and an older man, in a Brigadier General uniform stepped out into the hallway, his gray hair chopped military style and his moustage. "Gentlemen!"
Stone and Kingston, lowered their weapons and snapped to. "General! Sir!"
"What seems to be the problem here?" Patrich asked the two men. "I thought Captain Trilling was supposed to be giving you your briefing for the next operation?"
"Well, sir!" Stone started to say, then Patrich lifted his hand up.
"You got into it again, didn't you?" The General shook his head sadly.
"Yes, sir!" Stone replied, simply. Placing his weapon in his shoulder holster. As did Kingston.
"Follow me!" Patrich said as he walked towards the office, expecting the two NCO's to follow him, which they did.
Trilling looked up as the General entered the office. "General, that man is insufferable! He …" Breaking off as Stone entered the office as did Kingston.
Stone gave the Captain a grin behind the General's back.
"It is alright, Captain. I will conduct the mission briefing, myself. You can leave; please wait in my car!" Patrich request was worded as such, but the underlying tone was that it was an order.
Trilling snapped too, he knew the General's tone, he had heard often. "Yes, sir!"
Stone watched as the Captain left the office, then motioned Kingston to take up defensive position near the door.
Patrich had taken the chair where Trilling had been seated, Stone sat down on the chair opposite the general. Kingston took watch again.
"We have intelligence that the Syndicate is working on the virus in Arizona; we have been monitoring the situation. It seems that they are trying to keeping it close to the chest on this one; very little information had been gathered. In fact very little activity has been monitored, and then this morning a scientist working at the lab was found dead at his home." Patrich handed Stone a photo, it showed the man chest seemed to have been opened from the inside out.
Stone looked at the General. "Sir!"
"They are saying that a crazy Indian killed the man!" Patrich shook his head, at the Syndicates stupidity.
"So what it the real story?" Stone asked as he handed the photo back.
Patrich took a moment before answering. "I believe that there is now an alien on the loose, it seems to have incubated in the man that died." Handing over a computer disk. "All the information we have been able to gather is on it!"
A few years ago this would have seemed strange to Stone, but not now. Pocketing the disk. "So what it is you want us to do?" For the next hour the two men talked about the mission to Arizona.
"Capture it if you can, kill if not!" Patrich said calmly, as the briefing came to a close. "Don't risk you people!"
"Yes, sir!" Stone stood up to leave.
"Oh, and sergeant!" Patrick said a strange tone in his voice.
Stone turned to the General.
"What did happen in Utah?" Patrich's eyes bored into Stone's.
"Some Air Force personnel came in, they discovered me, and I forced to make a tactical retreat." Stone replied to the General without blinking.
Patrich kept looking at Stone, hoping to find some clue, what the sergeant was hiding. But Stone just stood calmly, giving no hint of any wrong doing. "Alright, keep you secret, for now!"
"Now that you mentioned it, who was the man that Whitlow meet?" Stone risked asking Patrich.
Patrich looked again at Stone, trying to glimps a hint of what the Sergeant was thinking, then said. "Air Force Major General George Hammond. Why do you want to know?"
"No reason, just wondering!" With that Stone and Kingston left the office.
Stone and Kingston, entered the SUV. Stone in the front passenger seat and Kingston in the rear.
The Black SUV was driven by Peter "Chiron" Arrsen, another member of Stone's team. "Chef, where are we heading?"
"Arizona, is the plane ready?" Stone asked as Arrsen maneuvered in to the traffic.
"Fueling up as we speak." The German operative replied.
Handing Kingston the disk. "Check the information!"
Kingston pulled out a laptop, and started to check the information.
After a thirty minutes driving, Kingston found information that he knew would interest Stone. "Boss! According this there is a high level Syndicate member on his way to Arizona."
"Who?" Stone asked.
"Doesn't say, only that it is a one of the original members." Kingston said as he continued to skim through the reports.
"So, this has top priority with the Syndicate!" Stone said, thinking out loud.
"Looks like it, boss!" The British SAS sergeant replied.
"Anything else of interest?"
Kingston hesitated a moment before replying. "Two FBI agents are on their way there!"
"Who?" Stone needed to know.
"Special Agent's Diana Fowley and Jeffrey Spencer." All three in the SUV recognized the names.