Mind Games
An Original Story Based off one of the Novels...not gonna say, it's up to you to find out which.
Prologue
It was a battlefield, that was the only way to describe it. He had seen many of them in his career, and he thought that once he became a Brig. General, and more recently a Maj. General, that he'd leave them behind. Leave them for younger, stronger, better-suited people. Alas, that wasn't the case.
There were just too many of them and only one of him. He looked up, hoping to find some support, maybe an ally or two, but there wouldn't be any help, correction, could be no help. It was his battle to fight alone, and he feared he would loose.
It felt that for every one he dispatched of, another two came into sight, he could see no way to win, no way to escape the horror of what he was facing, except to surrender. That was exactly what George Hammond was considering when he heard a noise. It was what sounded like a knock, it came again.
Help! It had come at last! His prayers were answered. Putting down the pen and report he currently had to read and sign, he moved to the door of his office, shifting several piles of paperwork as he did so. Opening the door, he saw a young female Technical Sergeant standing outside. "Sir?" She asked. "You wanted me to remind you about the 0900 Briefing for SG-1?"
Looking at his watch, Hammond suppressed a start, knowing it would not be good for the woman to see her Commanding Officer startled like that. Some other Officers let their emotions out in such ways, but he wasn't that type of an Officer. "Thank you, Sergeant. Dismissed." He watched the woman nod, and turn before going back inside long enough to pick up his copy of the Mission Brief packet.
The four members of his flagship team were all present when he entered. Both Col. O'Neill and Capt. Carter stood to salute him, Dr Jackson simply offered a definitive nod. That pleased him. It wasn't long ago that the civilian didn't know how to act around him, and Hammond liked his people to not only know how he did things, but to be comfortable with it.
"At ease, people." He said to the two saluting Officers. "We all have a lot to get through, so let's make this quick. Colonel, your mission is standard Recon. Meet the locals, find out what they're like, and all that goes with it."
Jack groaned outwardly. "Again? Sir, can't we just find out what-"
Hammond cut him short with a look. "You do remember who asked us to evaluate the cultural and scientific aspects of the planets and people, right, Colonel?" He fixed the man with a piercing stare, before moving on. "Now, as I was saying. This mission is purely Recon. If you come up against heavy resistance, fall back and evacuate, is that understood?" Nods all round. "Good, now, Dr. Jackson...?"
The linguist stood up and picked up a small remote off the table. Flicking it, he called up the MALP's transmissions from the initial survey. "Okay, as you can see, there doesn't seem to be all that much activity around the Stargate, but that doesn't mean anything, as we've found out in past. That building on the extreme right of the picture as you look at it now appears to be of Greek origin, though I can't tell for sure." He sat down again and smiled at them all. "This should be fun."
Hammond nodded to them. "SG-1, your departure is in two hours. Good luck and God speed to you." He got up, signalling the end of the Briefing, and headed back to his Office, even as he heard the noises of the four people getting up and clearing away. Entering his office he took a deep breath and sat down behind the oak table, which was currently covered in paperwork. Back to the front-line. He thought as he picked up his pen again.