The Briefing

The briefing room of the SGC, with its familiar black and red table and its glass wall offering a view of the Stargate silent and imposing far below. At one end of the room, an older man standing, bald and portly but still imposing in his be-medalled dark blue uniform. Two other uniformed men, younger maybe, sitting in the black chairs around the table. One taps his fingers boredly on the surface of the table, and the other glances at his watch.

General Hammond cleared his throat.

"The time is getting on, and I may have to start this briefing anyway. Thank you for turning up on time, Major, Captain. As you might have already guessed, this briefing is about the formation of three new 'all areas special teams', following the success of SG-1."

"And you want us to be a part of it?"

Major Kendall leaned back in his chair, uncomfortable in his dress uniform, and sighed. He reached up absently to rub the long-healed scar across his cheek, looking over at the captain sitting opposite. Peterson was leaning forward with his arms on the table, looking lost in thought, eyebrows knotted in a slight frown under his black hair. General Hammond nodded.

"Perceptive as always, Major. When the other two members of this team arrive, we'll start the briefing."

"No offence sir, but I'd really like to put together my own team," objected Kendall, but only half-heartedly. Hammond gave him a penetrating look.

"What makes you think you'll be in charge, Major?"

Kendall blinked and then sat forward with a click in the chair and a half grin creasing his face. "Because if this is an all areas special team, I'm not special at anything. And none of the specialists on base are higher than Major."

Hammond allowed himself an inward smile, his own face impassive. "Very good Major. As it happens, you will be in command of this team. But Colonel O'Neill and I have deliberated for a long time over the compliment of these teams' personnel, and there is no choice in the matter. In fact - "

"Sir?"

At the sound of a distinctly non-American accent, the three USAF officers looked up. A stocky red haired man wearing a slightly different uniform grinned and saluted as he came to a halt in front of the General.

"At ease, Captain. Gentlemen, this is Captain Fox, from the British compliment. He'll be joining your team as the engineer and Stargate expert."

Peterson looked up and smiled affably. "Hey, Fox. Decided to quit messing around with Siler and the technicians then?"

"Oh, I think it's high time I got on with a real job, don't you?" replied Fox seriously but with a hint of a grin, a peculiar lilt to his accent as he slipped into the seat beside Peterson. He looked up, and nodded politely to the lounging form of Kendall, who was eying him critically. "Major."

"Captain."

They waited for a few moments in silence, and General Hammond took in a breath to start to say something, when pounding feet were heard rattling up the stairs, and a person appeared, out of breath, wearing rumpled green fatigues instead of the stiff uniforms of the others. She pushed a green bandana out of her eyes and slowed to a walk, trying to calm her breathing at the same time.

"I'm dreadfully sorry, General," she said, apologies stumbling out in yet another British accent. "But we were working on the transcripts that SG-4 brought back last week, and Daniel said that we'd finally got something, and I'm afraid I just totally lost track of time..."

"Doctor, please calm down and take your seat," said the General sternly. "And if you intend to become a working member of this team, I suggest you learn punctuality."

The woman sat down beside Kendall with a suitably chastised expression, flicking the messy plait of brown hair over her shoulder and looking around. Realising her untidy appearance in comparison with the others, she began to blush, but then stopped herself and kept her emotions schooled from then on.

"Major Kendall, Captain Peterson, this is Doctor Gunn. She will be the archaeologist and anthropologist for this team."

Doctor Gunn smiled hesitantly in greeting. Kendall's face was impassive, and Peterson was trying to hide an amused expression. Fox winked at her, and she grinned.

"Now without further ado, people, I would like to get this briefing started," continued General Hammond with a sigh. "As I previously said to Major Kendall and Captain Peterson, with the success of SG-1 as an all areas special team, the Pentagon has decided that we need to extend our search and commission three other such teams. As from now, we are reforming SGs 8 and 11, and creating SG-16 to do these jobs. And you four people will make SG-11."

General Hammond paced around the table to look out of the briefing room window at the still form of the Stargate below. He continued in a strong voice.

"Major Kendall will be your leader, with Peterson as the second in command. This has nothing to do with the fact that the other two of you are members of the British contingent; rather, it is because I know Captain Fox will be the engineer and Stargate specialist, and it is easier to do that job without the extra hassle of being second-in-command. And of course, Doctor Gunn is a civilian," and the General turned to face the four SGC personnel again, stepping forward to the end of the table and leaning his hands on the desk.

"You will be sent on several routine missions to test your compatibility as a team. Things can be written on paper, but they cannot predict how teamwork grows." The General turned slowly, scanning every one of the determined, earnest faces in front of him. "I feel that SG-11 should be an excellent team. Your first mission will be tomorrow afternoon, moving out at 1400. You will revisit P4X-639, ensure the remote laboratory is still functioning properly, and scout the area for 500 metres around the ruins to ensure nothing has changed since our last visit. I will give you another short briefing tomorrow at 1200. I'll see you then, SG-11. Dismissed."

All four people got to their feet, and saluted, Doctor Gunn suddenly remembering to do the same but only lagging a little. Then she and Captain Fox headed swiftly for the stairs, going upwards, leaving Peterson to amble slowly behind them. Kendall remained.

Doctor Caitlin Gunn, PhD Arch/Class PGDip Anthr and 2nd assistant to Doctor Jackson, swallowed slightly as she paused on the stairs, looking back down at the briefing room before running to catch up with Captain Fox.

"Major Kendall stayed behind," she said worriedly as she fell into step beside the red-haired man, who was sauntering along the corridor with his hands in his pockets.

"Don't worry about it, Caitlin. I've seen Kendall before. He seems a fair man, good leader." Fox's Scottish accent still made a pleasant burr to his voice, despite two years living in America.

"But he didn't seem to like me, Alex," she continued worriedly, running a hand over her face, tucking a few errant wisps of hair behind her ear. "And I had no idea the briefing was to be about the formation of new teams! If someone had told me, I might have remembered better - "

Captain Alexander Fox stopped and caught the doctor on the arm, interrupting her steady litany of errors, and stared at her critically.

"Caitlin. How long have you been working on these transcripts?"

"Well, when Daniel left for his last mission, he told me to start going through them on Wednesday, and when he returned we've kind of been working on it since then..."

"Caitlin! SG-1 came back through the 'Gate fifteen hours ago. Tell me you've at least had something to eat."

"Of course!" She looked affronted.

"Has the word 'sleep' ever crossed your mind?"

"Well yes, but that's what coffee's for. Too busy to sleep," and she smiled brightly.

"You're no affie wise, lassie!" Fox shook his head with half-admiration, half-annoyance. "Get going. Tell Doctor Jackson that since you're going on your first trip through the 'Gate tomorrow, you'd better bloody get some sleep."

"Yes, sir," she tossed the RAF man an over-the-top salute, and he in return mock hit her on the shoulder. She laughed and then turned off down towards the archaeological Labs. Fox let an affectionate grin slip across his face. As there were only four British members of the SGC, they had got to know each other very quickly in the first few months, common ground and foreign country uniting them. Being of similar ages, he and 'Doctor C', as the others referred to Caitlin, became close friends. Something Fox would never say was that she reminded him a great deal of his sister. Or what his sister would have been like, if she had lived past twelve. Remembered pain creased his face, and he shook his head again before going to report to Major Carter. She'd always said he should be on a team. Well, now to tell her! And Siler would be very jealous... The sombre look that was so rare on the cheerful captain's face was quickly replaced with the customary mischievous twinkle in his green eyes, and he strode off.

"What is it, Major?" General Hammond turned round to see the laconic Kendall remaining behind. He shifted slightly uncomfortably, but whether it was the question or the uniform General Hammond was unsure. Instead he waited for the Major to speak.

"Concerning Doctor Gunn, sir..."

Ah, thought General Hammond, here it comes.

"Is she really suitable for an off-world mission? I mean, I don't want her to become a liability, sir."

"Don't worry, Major Kendall. She may be a little – "he searched for a word, "- absent seeming, but she's got beyond basic firearm training and she is one of the only anthropologists suitable for these teams." He looked at the still sceptical scarred face before him, and sighed.

"Just remember what Doctor Jackson is like, and believe that this member of your team is just as important and competent."

"Yes sir." Kendall nodded, and then walked off with a polite acknowledgement. As he left the door, Hammond caught his muttered comment.

"And O'Neill says that Jackson is a pain in the ass. What joy I have to look forward to."

But there was also a faint hint of humour in his voice, and General Hammond smiled. He had a good feeling about this team.