Mark 9

Beachhead episode tag.

What was really said in General Landry's phone conversation with Jack during Beachhead?

Rated G

Disclaimer: Unfortunately not mine. I'll put back where I found them.

*

General Hank Landry knew, even before Colonel Mitchell approached him, that they were going to need her, the genius behind it all, on this mission. Truth be told, he had only met Samantha Carter twice before, both for very short periods of time. Both had been while she was serving at Stargate Command, but at the time he wasn't privy to that information. No, no, that came later on. She was an interesting enough person, a brilliant astrophysicist by all means, but he didn't think she'd seen much combat outside her space telemetry and her lab.

How wrong he'd been.

Once he was given the command of the SGC, recommended by one General Jack O'Neill, and he began reading through SGC reports, he realized just how wrong his impression of her was. Twisted was more like it. In addition to being a brilliant scientist she had probably seen more front lines in her much shorter than his career than most Air Force officers ever will.

So when they said "let's use the Mark 9!" during the briefing, he knew he should get Colonel Carter in. He just nodded as Mitchell suggested it. He grinned when Dr. Jackson mentioned "in passing" that she should be brought in and that he knew her quite well, if he needed help getting her in. He nodded gravely when Teal'c said it is evident that she was needed.

And so he went ahead and made the call to the head of Homeworld Security to request she be assigned to him for the mission.

The head of Homeworld Security flat out refused. He kept saying that she was busy working on one of her inventions, improving it for the Dedalus class ships, something the Prometheus would also need. There was no way she was leaving her lab any time soon, he was sorry.

Hank groaned in frustration and yelled into his phone. "Jack, Jack…"

"Hank, - "

" Jack, she practically invented the mark 9. And you're the one who thinks we should use the damn thing!"

"I just finished saving the world a couple of months ago for the 16th time, and now it's in danger again. Of course you need to blow up someone, just to get the point across – don't mess with Earth!"

Hank rolled his eyes. "Why are you wasting valuable time saying no?" he was pacing the room with the phone in his hand.

"She's busy working on some doohickey for some gobblygook, sorry, can't spare her. And anyway, it's not like your people can't do it. Mitchell's pretty good with the science-y stuff. Tell him to give her a call."

"I've read enough of your SG-1 mission reports to know that there were times that no one but Samantha Carter could pull your ass out of the fire!"

"So?"

"Well, this is one of those time –" Frustrated, Hank turned around to see what the commotion outside his door was. Must be Walter, bringing in yet another report that he would need to sign.

Except there was no Walter there. Colonel Samantha Carter stood at his door. He stared at her.

"Reporting as ordered, sir."

"She there yet?"

Hank turned to look at his desk again, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, she's standing right here." Another look at the door confirmed it. "You're a funny man, Jack. Very funny."

"I try. Keeps me entertained. Anyway, I'll let you two get busy."

"Thank you."

"One more thing. And don't tell her I said so because she'll kill me – you keep her safe. That's my wife you're sending out to the front line. Again. I want her back fully functional."

Hank smiled. "Of course."

"Oh and don't let her go anywhere outside this planet before she calls me. Make it in order if you have to."

Hank chuckled. "Will do. Thank you, Jack."

"Bye, Hank."