Stargate:

Fait Accompli

A/N: This story takes place after SGU's Season 1 finale. It will be written by multiple writers over the course of 18-20 chapters. Set up your alerts for future reference.

This is an SG-1 Story. Please read author profile for more information.

Chapter 1: Sky Falls Down

Written by Loneranger-1

Copyedited by SBZ

Captain Jennifer Hailey wasn't used to this kind of plan, but admittedly it made sense given the situation. Stepping out from behind the tree she'd used to hide, Hailey called out. "Yoo hoo!"

Ahead of her, in the dark jungle of PX6-2M7, the Lucian Alliance guard turned around with his gun drawn. "Hey!" He scanned his flashlight over her and then focused the beam on her he was surprised at seeing a young woman not much taller than his shoulder and not exactly wearing much. "Who are you?"

Hailey held her hands up in surrender; she'd left her vest, outer shirt, and any identifying markers behind a handy tree stump. . Dressed in only her white T=shirt and dark pants, the flashlight illuminated her completely. Hailey extended her chest out a little and winced as the guard's flashlight blinded her. "It's okay! I'm not going to hurt you."

The guard scoffed, obviously incredulous that this little girl could hurt him when he easily towered a foot over Hailey. "Yeah, right." As he reached for his radio, he just barely caught the sound of someone behind him before the world greyed out around him.

Teal'c had sprung from his hidden position behind a large dropping of heavily leafed branches and slammed a hammer punch onto the guard's neck. He instantly went down like a rock, sprawling out on the ground.

Teal'c was dressed in a large Jaffa cloak, Hailey mused to herself that he looked like Mace Windu's bigger, tougher brother. From the shadows of the recently beaten path, Colonel Cameron Mitchell and Vala Mal Doran stepped out and surrounded the guard, both dressed in black BDUs. Hailey smiled down at the guard and quipped as she pointed to Teal'c. "I never said anything about him though."

Cam stifled a snort, but kept a watch on the path. They'd been dropped by cargo ship almost ten kilometers away to avoid any potential tracking, and the long hike was finally coming to a close. The small outpost where the Lucian Alliance had set up was only about five hundred meters away, more than close enough to do what needed to be done.

Vala reached down and picked up the Lucian Alliance guard's radio and tossed it up to Hailey. She gave the young Captain a silly grin. "Well done, had much practice at that?"

"In the SGC?" Hailey rolled her eyes and turned back to where she'd stowed her gear. She'd thought Vala would be the gopher given her playful nature, but apparently being the mother of the Orici made one recognizable. "Not nearly enough." Hailey noted Cam give her a slight look, just enough to tell her to keep focused. "I'll get dressed and set up the transmitter, sir."

Cam fought a smirk and said. "Don't hear that one too often."

Teal'c nodded reverently to Hailey. "Indeed."

Major Marks ran yet another diagnostic on the forward rail guns. He turned to his commanding officer seated behind him. "Colonel Carter?"

On the bridge of the USS George Hammond, Colonel Samantha Carter turned from the latest ship status report on her tablet and looked up at her second in command. The ship was waiting several hundred light-years from the planet where SG-1 was infiltrating, and Sam was just waiting for the signal. "Yes, Kevin?"

Marks fought his uneasy shift. He'd known that accepting the offer to be Carter's XO would bring some benefits, but a first name basis was something he hadn't planned on - at least from her. "Uhh… no sign of SG-1's signal yet ma'am, but our forward rail guns are prepped and ready to go." He lowered his voice and softly added. "I am a little worried about them, ma'am."

Sam got up from her chair and looked around her ship; the entire crew had been handpicked by her and Major Marks. She commanded their respect from both an authoritative position of power and a need for acceptance in friendship. Sam moved closer to Marks' station and looked down. "What's your concern?"

"It's the rounds themselves, ma'am. We've never used explosive rounds in the rail guns. Frankly, I'm a little worried about a misfire."

Nodding, Sam sighed softly and straightened her jumpsuit. She almost wished that she could requisition something a little more comfortable, but for now these pajamas would have to do. "You mean the naquadah explosive core?" Marks nodded, so Sam explained. "Technically it's not an explosive warhead in the way they probably told you. Ever since we've been openly engaging the Lucian Alliance, we've been looking for a way to give our rail guns and missiles a better chance against their shields. We can't rely on Asgard weapons alone. Against large numbers they take too long to be effective and don't recharge fast enough."

Sam crouched down and tapped a few keys on the console. She brought up a schematic of the new rounds and began to explain. "You know how a HEAT round works, right?"

Again, Marks nodded. "A shaped explosive charge sends molten metal at hypersonic velocity into enemy armor." Sam smiled. Marks' encyclopedic mind was an asset she'd wanted when she sent him the transfer request. Caldwell had nearly blown a gasket, but she'd bribed him with a few select recommendations. "No offense ma'am, I get the science, I'm just worried that a misfire might set off the explosive charge."

Sam understood his concern. Sometimes she wondered how many people understood the absolute accuracy needed for some of the most impressive weaponry and technology; this was no exception. "Normally I'd agree with you, but that's where the ingenious part of the design comes in." Sam pointed out the full schematic, explaining as she typed on the console. "Area 51 dedicated the resources to come up with rounds that can penetrate shielding. These rounds are only similar to HEAT rounds in that they detonate a shaped warhead, specifically refined naquadah.."

Sam then pointed to the inner shell surrounding the warhead. "A misfire wouldn't be any danger to us, the trinium jacket is designed to strip away as it enters the atmosphere. It's so fast the hope is that it won't have enough time to transfer its heat before impact." She held up her pinky finger and waggled it. "Imagine getting shot with a stream of ionized naquadah the diameter of a finger at Mach 30."

Marks' eyebrows raised. "Ouch."

Cam grunted softly as he hooked his leg onto the branch above him and pulled himself up. A branch caught him in a tender area but he shrugged it off. Vala was already on the branch above and he considered making some comment about strength to body weight. "How many you see, Vala?"

Vala held onto the trunk of the large pine-like tree as it swayed from Cam's climbing, "Looks like a few cargo ships, one Al'kesh, and a lot of Kassa." Cam finally reached her level of the canopy, high enough that they had an unobstructed view of the small outpost. It was a simple design: a large tower dominated the center and several smaller buildings and tents served as barracks. The Stargate stood beside the tower in a readily defensible position. On the opposite side of the Kassa plantation, a clearing had been cut for landing cargo ships and Al'kesh. Cam mused that it looked like a firebase, except without artillery.

"Do you need a hand?" Vala asked.

Cam drew in a few deep breaths, and shot Vala an irritated grin must have been painted on it was so normal for her. He looked down and was glad to see the fiber optic cable he'd strapped to his belt was still attached. "Hailey! You ready?"

Captain Hailey called out from twenty feet below Cam and Vala. "We're ready! Just paint the target and then we'll be able to send the signal to the Hammond!"

Teal'c gestured with his hand for Hailey to lower her volume; "I would recommend you use the radio, Captain Hailey."

With a less than happy look on her face, Hailey nodded; her loud and piercing voice was exactly the kind of thing that could give them away. Rookie mistake and she mentally kicked herself for it. "Colonel, we're ready, should I send the signal?" If all went according to plan, this area was about to get pummeled by an orbital strike. Hailey was still getting used to being SG-1's technical officer, but at least she didn't have guys hitting on her at every opportunity like in training or at Area 51. Male geeks could be so obvious and not in a good way.

Cam's voice came through the radio. "I heard you the first time Hailey; yeah, send it. We're ready up here, over."

The fiber optic plug to the portable subspace transmitter she'd been carrying tugged slightly. The laser designators were ready and the next shot in this war was about to be fired. "Copy that." Hailey looked to Teal'c and nodded. "You ever done something like this before?"

"Many times." Teal'c kept his watchful eyes on their perimeter. "As your people are fond to say, this is the serenity before the tempest."

Hailey stopped in her tracks. "Huh?" Decoding Teal'c's words, Hailey chuckled. "Calm before the storm?"

The faintest trace of a smile crossed Teal'c's face, something Hailey wasn't exactly expecting. "Indeed."

Sam had just resumed her seat when the alarm on her armrest bleeped. She took a deep breath and sighed. Here we go. "Major Marks." He turned his head slightly to listen better. "Take us into hyperspace. Have the 302 wing prep for hard launch."

Marks nodded and input the needed commands into his console. "Yes, ma'am. We'll be at the target in thirty seconds."

Sam flexed her fists hard enough to crack her knuckles as the ship coasted into the hyperspace aperture. The last time she'd tangled with the Lucian Alliance she'd lost two pilots to that damned beaming jammer they'd designed. It had been a hard decision, but they'd cleared her of any wrongdoing. The thought of the letters she'd written to their next of kin still conjured an ache in her chest. "Bring Asgard cannons online, tell Titan wing to hold launch until my orders."

The bridge crew quickly fell into their practiced routine, the lights dimmed and the systems powered up. The blue of hyperspace on the screen ahead would only last a little longer. Marks called out from his station, "Shields up, Asgard weapons online. We'll drop right on top of them."

Prepared for combat, Sam relaxed for the last ten seconds of peace she'd have for the foreseeable future.

Cam kept his aim steady. Hailey had just given him the return signal from the Hammond and the fireworks were about to commence. "Vala, hang on, don't wanna lose your balance."

The former Goa'uld host did as she was told, but kept her own laser designator pointed at the guard tower nearest them. "Says the man who lost his pants in a motel."

Cam checked his groan at the reference to the past mission. "Wasn't my fault, and that worked out, remember?"

Vala still snickered. "Oh yes, fun times." She looked up to the sky when a brief flash of light caught her eye. "Sam's here," Vala said. A wide smile bloomed on her face as her eyes sought out the familiar shape of the Hammond.

Cam smiled softly as he put his binoculars to his eyes and barely made out three distinct shapes. One moved much faster than the others and circled around, the thinnest strand of blue coming out of it. "Alright, get ready for a shockwave. No telling how hard these things'll hit."

In the outpost, an alarm sounded followed by the distinct flash of a Stargate activating. Cam had worried about this, but that was exactly why he'd set his laser designator right behind the Stargate. Hopefully the orbital strike would knock the gate onto its face, stopping any Lucian Alliance from escaping. He spotted several blurred forms rushing towards it. "Crap crap crap…come on Sam."

"Shields holding! The first Ha'tak's shields are down!"

Sam gripped the chair's arms as Marks spun the much faster Daedalus class ship around for another assault on the two Ha'taks orbiting the planet. Lances of upgraded Goa'uld plasma cannons washed over the Hammond's shields but the Lucian Alliance had been caught off guard. The ferry of cargo ships and Al'kesh between the Ha'taks had scattered, some entering hyperspace. "Target its engines with missiles! Take down the other's shields!"

"Too late!" Marks switched the camera view to the second shielded Ha'tak, which backed away from the Hammond at top speed. "She's entering hyperspace!"

Around the Hammond, dozens of cargo ships and Al'kesh scrambled to escape the 304's rail guns. The new rounds chopped the ships up like a well diced pineapple. Several tried to slip into hyperspace; the Hammond's fire destroyed them just shy of a hyperspace window.

The Hammond had finished its turn and now targeted the unshielded Ha'tak that launched a constant stream of fighters. They were unmanned and served only as a meat shield to protect that Ha'tak's escape. Sam narrowed her eyes with a different plan of attack. "Major Marks. Target their center pyramid."

Marks knew enough about Ha'taks to realize what Sam was ordering. He placed the auto targeting feature of the Asgard beam cannons square in the center of the craft and pressed the fire button once more. "Yes, ma'am."

A lance of blue plasma arced out the front of the Hammond and burned away the few fighters that served as a screen. The beam punched into the Ha'tak; the affected decks decompressed and shot atmosphere and debris into space.. The naquadah/trinium alloy that composed the outer hull held for a heartbeat before it vaporized and exposed the inner hull. The plasma beam bored further into the craft and hit its target: the main power conduits that fed power to the engines. Sam idly remembered doing the same with hand grenades so many years ago.

The beginnings of a hyperspace window opened, but then crackled and fizzled out of existence as power ceased to be funneled towards it. The Ha'tak listed and drifted , crippled from the precision shot.

Sam felt a bit vengeful, but held her ire. She clicked her armrest communications. "Titan wing, you are clear for launch. Disable any craft that try to escape from the Ha'tak. You're cleared to destroy any enemy ships if necessary."

The flight leader acknowledged and the Hammond's F-302 squadrons blasted off from the dual hangers. Sam turned her attention to the planet. "Bring us about to geosynchronous orbit with the outpost, Major; lock onto any targets SG-1 marks out."

Marks took in a slight breath. The Hammond had gotten through the quick skirmish with ease, and now it was time for a little payback.

Cam saw the shots streaking in before he heard them. He gripped onto the tree branch tighter and braced.

The incoming rail gun shots left trails of steam and burnt particulate matter as they soared in like comets. They detonated right where he'd marked out; they toppled the Gate and froze the few Lucian Alliance members still in the area. Most of them had escaped to his chagrin, but a few prisoners were better than nothing.

The sound finally reached them, a combination of sonic boom and a steaming hiss sound that ended with a dull and unearthly thump of impact. The Al'kesh Vala had painted took a full burst of fire from orbit as it tried to take off. The rail gun shots pierced the shields and created a cloud of ionized naquadah that stripped the hull of what little armor it had and disabled the engines. It listed to the side then crashed into the ground; the impact threw up a cloud of dirt and rocks.

The shockwaves from the orbital strike blew past Cam and Vala. A low vibration started in their tree that grew into a violent shudder. Leaves and branches pelted their head and shoulders. Cam waited until the tree stilled before he loosened his grip on the trunk. He shook the detritus from his hair and flexed his fingers to relieve the slight tingle across his skin. After a quick glance to ensure Vala was okay he started down the tree and motioned for her to follow. "Come on!"

Vala reached out to a swaying branch that caught her on the fingertips. Crying out in pain, she sucked on her pinky as she nodded.

Teal'c had taken off his Jaffa robe which exposed his SGC black ops outfit, complete with a bandolier of varying grenades. Hailey held a P90 with a basic tacvest, her tools and equipment in the backpack on her shoulders. She couldn't imagine how many battles Teal'c must have gone through to be so calm in the face of an orbital strike.

Then again, it's not like she hadn't trained for this for a long time. Watching Cam and Vala descend the tree, it finally hit her. She, Jennifer Hailey, was on SG freakin' one! Adrenaline surged through her veins and racked the first round into her P90, it was time to rock'n'roll!

Sam stood and moved to Marks' shoulder. She watched as he selectively chose targets using the Hammond's ultra high resolution cameras, which afforded him pinpoint accuracy. She made careful note of SG-1's position as they moved steadily closer to the outpost. After she ensured they were moving – and therefore safe – and that Marks hadn't strayed too close to them with his fire, Sam shifted her attention to the attack. She watched as the rounds raised spouts of dirt and metal as they slammed through the few ships and defensive structures on the ground.

It was a new skill, keeping situational awareness of everything going on around her in three dimensions and on multiple battlefields. The 302s were quickly disarming the Ha'tak and targeting its disabled plasma turrets to ensure it couldn't restore its weapons. The Hammond's ventral and dorsal guns – set to auto target – mopped up the remaining small craft. All in all it had turned out to be a very simple and almost logical fight. It was nice to spring the surprise rather than receive it.

The transponder signals moved closer to the outpost, and Sam patted Marks on the shoulder. "That's enough. Once they get the jammer down, send in the heavies."

Marks nodded in acknowledgement. "Yes, ma'am."

Teal'c aimed carefully and squeezed the trigger of his P90, dropping the one alert guard in front of the main tower of the outpost. The distinct bark of the P90 was barely audible over the flames of burning ships and buildings and the screams of the few Lucian Alliance members left.

Vala stuck close to Hailey, the two women flanking around the sides to cover the covert entry. Cam charged straight into the main tower of the outpost, his black BDUs serving well as camouflage. Teal'c followed and watched their rear, hoping to catch any would-be ambushers.

The outpost was of Goa'uld construction, which was no surprise to anyone. The Lucian Alliance had been formed from the ashes of the Goa'uld empire. Cam rounded the first corner and crouched low; only one Lucian Alliance mercenary stood on guard, alert and with his weapon raised. Cam let loose a burst from his P90 and dropped him. He advanced cautiously into the outpost, Teal'c always at his back.

Their mission was simple. The Lucian Alliance had proven very resourceful. They'd developed a method to block Asgard beaming. SG-1's goal couldn't be more straightforward: get into the underground bunker, identify, and disable whatever was blocking their beams. This would allow Sam and the Hammond to capture the remaining mercenaries and occupy the base using the beaming technology to send in a heavy force of Marines.

Vala and Hailey followed behind Teal'c. The Lucian Alliance had either abandoned the outpost or fallen to the orbital strike. Little to no resistance remained to bar SG-1's path to the basement. Still, it paid to be cautious.

Cam led the way down a wide staircase. He nudged the door open and peered into the room. Empty – of people, anyway. He gave the all clear and entered the basement. A long hallway stretched before them and terminated at an open doorway. From this distance it looked like a large room waited for them. He motioned the team forward and advanced carefully.

The evacuees hadn't taken any supplies with them. The hallway remained stocked with an eclectic mix of crates and boxes. Smaller rooms – likely more storage – sat to each side of the hallway. Cam checked behind every stack of crates and cleared each room. They'd barely seen anyone since Sam's bombardment but that didn't mean mercenaries weren't lying in wait.

When they reached the end of the hallway Cam leaned against one side of the doorway while Teal'c took the other. Together they entered and swept the room. Clear. But not empty. A large domed shaped structure dominated the middle of the room. The dome spun lazily over a platform that sported a myriad of circuitry and electronic equipment. They'd found their primary objective.

"Big thing, ain't it?"

Hailey grumbled as she pulled her backpack off and pulled out her equipment. "Haven't been able to study one before. We might learn how to counter it."

Vala pointed her P90 at it. "Why don't we just blow it up? Sam could shoot at it from orbit."

"Indeed." Teal'c eyed the device cautiously. "The Alliance may have sabotaged it. While study may seem worthwhile, we must not neglect our mission."

Hailey hesitated to challenge the rest of the team since she was brand new and had hardly a tenth of their combined experience. But a part of her just couldn't let it go. "Blowing it up is just going to make it harder for us to figure out. There must be a way to turn it off."

Cam had already taken out a brick of C4, but hearing Hailey's challenge he shrugged. "Let's look for an off-switch. Or a power cord to pull. But if we don't find one, boom."

"The Ha'tak is hailing us. They're offering us their ship in exchange for their freedom."

Sam raised an eyebrow at the audacity. "Did they happen to mention if they have any technology that's of any interest to us?"

Marks' right corner of his lip raised in a smirk. "No, ma'am."

Sam sighed and shook her head. There wasn't anything else to do until SG-1 took down the jammer. "Are they still on the line?"

Marks nodded and keyed in a command into his console. "Coming on screen."

The screen blinked off its view of the planet below, and turned to a fuzzy image of an disheveled looking man in his thirties. He wore a goatee and didn't look at all pleased. Sam could tell he typically took pride in his appearance. His hair, while messy, appeared clean and styled; his goatee looked well trimmed; his skin lacked the grime most hired guns sported. Were he not on a burning and crippled ship, Sam would almost think he looked like a businessman. "I am Captain Getero of the Lucian Alliance. What do you want, Tau'ri? I've offered you my ship."

Sam stiffened her posture and lowered her voice. "I don't particularly like that term, or your tone. I prefer 'Earthborn', and for you to lose the attitude."

The crew on the bridge all beamed with pride. They'd heard Samantha Carter had earned her rank all on her own, and this was just more proof of that.

Getero visibly deflated. The lights behind him flickered from unsteady power supplies. "I'll give you the ship, just let us go through the Chappa'ai."

Sam shook her head and clicked her tongue. "How about this? You tell me what I want to know, and I hand you over to the Jaffa instead of just finishing the job I started?"

Marks made sure to hide his face from the screen. He knew it was a bluff, or at least he hoped it was. Killing an armed combatant was one thing, but helpless prisoners? He wasn't sure what it would take for him to make a decision like that; certainly much more than what he'd been through during his tenure as helmsman.

Getero seemed to think so too, and he scoffed softly. "You wouldn't kill us. Tau'ri do not execute their prisoners. You may be the new lords, but you're nowhere near as cruel as the former ones."

Both of Sam's eyebrows raised. She'd never been compared to the Goa'uld before and it was unexpected. She narrowed her eyes and her voice dropped in anger. "And if you weren't a murdering drug lord I'd agree with you. The Jaffa will be much more lenient to you than the Goa'uld would have ever been. Personally, I don't see why I shouldn't just leave you to drift.." The threat was simple and to the point. Sam leaned forward in her chair, a devious grin on her face. "So make your choice, but I've only got a few minutes before I have to make mine."

Getero's expression flickered through several emotions. Ultimately his expression settled on a sour acceptance. He'd deduced she was serious. After a long, almost defiant stare, he sighed and nodded. "Very well, we surrender with the expectation that we'll be handed over to the Jaffa."

Somewhere in her mind Sam knew it wasn't that harsh a punishment, and deep down she had nagging doubt that they were getting off easy. Still, with preliminary casualty reports coming in, she knew that the SGC had dealt the Lucian Alliance a stiff blow in their ongoing war of attrition. "Good call, tell your people not to bother arming themselves; we'll be beaming them down to the planet once we've secured what's left of your base."

Getero's jaw shifted to the side and clenched. The muscles in his jaw bulged.. He growled an incoherent oath and shut communications off.

Major Marks turned to Sam and nodded. "I think he likes us. At least he didn't self-destruct."

Sam smirked. "The Lucian Alliance likes to live. Dealing with them is better than fighting Jaffa if you ask me." She felt more at ease,. The situation had gone as smooth as she could have expected and now there was just cleanup to do. A strident alarm told her their beaming technology was operational. It was time to pick up the trash. "Major, have the Marine Team Alpha prepare for guests, and send Beta and Lima down to secure the area. Then see if you can raise SG-1."

Hailey tried to keep her grin from spreading all the way across her face as she swung the power conduit from side to side in front of her. "Told you, sir."

Cam shrugged nonchalantly and put his C4 back into his vest. "Guess we've had enough booms today." He looked to Teal'c and nodded. "Marines'll be down in a few, let's go." He then gave Vala a quick look. "Guard the kiddo?"

"Delightful." Vala's smile was quite pedantic, and Cam knew she was ready to tease, but decided not to in lieu of Hailey's presence. She began to poke around, looking inside the nearest crates for a souvenir.

Cam and Teal'c returned to the doorway and heard their radios chirp to life.

"This is Colonel Carter to SG-1, come in?"

"Carter this is Mitchell." A small smile quirked Teal'c's lips at the statement he knew was coming. "Nice aim, the main tower's not that badly damaged and we've captured a lot of equipment including the beaming jammer." They reached the stairway and started up.

"My idea!" Hailey's voice cut in, then quickly added, "…Uhh, sirs'"

Cam idly shook his head. Sure Hailey was good for a youngun, but she still needed to learn some patience. "Never said it wasn't, Hailey. Carter, any trouble up there?"

"Nothing we haven't dealt with already. Marine Beta and Lima are beaming down now, you've got command. Get a holding area set up so we can transport prisoners from the disabled Ha'tak."

Teal'c paused at the top of the stairs and raised an eyebrow. He pushed the door open with his shoulder and aimed his P90 ahead of him. He scanned the exterior of the outpost as he spoke. "Colonel Carter, how badly damaged is the Ha'tak?"

"Nothing the Jaffa can't fix. Once we've examined it and documented any modifications the Lucian Alliance made we'll tow it to one of your shipyards."

Cam kept quiet. He knew that Teal'c's priorities had shifted since he'd joined the Free Jaffa Nation on a mostly permanent basis. Cam couldn't blame the big guy for looking out for his people. "Yeah well, any luck and we'll figure out how to beat 'em even faster."

At Teal'c's nod that the exterior remained clear, Cam stepped past him. He heard the distinctive bark of a Marine Captain ordering someone to get down on the ground. It was time to take control. "We're meeting up with the Marines, we'll keep you apprised."

"Copy, good work Cam."

Cam smiled to himself; he always loved it when Sam complimented him.

"Marines!" Cam moved ahead to where he saw three marines ziptying two survivors of the orbital strike and drew the attention of the team leader. "Captain."

"Colonel." The Marine snapped off a sharp salute. "Captain Wake, sir. Beta Team. Lima's rounding up strays and we'll be using their barracks as a holdin area."

Cam nodded. "Good work. Get them cleaned up and processed. Once you've gotten 'em all sorted, send 'em up to the Hammond for questioning. Don't be too rough, we want answers."

Captain Wake turned on his heel. He signaled his team to move out with precise hand signals. Cam shot a quick look to Teal'c who watched the captured mercenaries plod towards the barracks.

The area was still hot; smoldering rocks and debris littered the area, making it difficult to breathe. The wind picked up and threw leaves and loose dirt about, creating a wasteland. The shockwaves from the rail gun impacts had flattened the field of Kassa and Cam couldn't help but think of corn nuts. Cam noted that Teal'c didn't seem affected by the heat at all, and kept his attention to the trees surrounding them. The Jaffa warrior moved with a deliberate smoothness – something Cam wished he could mimic.

"You think Hailey's good enough?" Keeping his back to Teal'c, Cam added. "For SG1 I mean."

Relaxing his posture, Teal'c replied as he moved towards the barracks. "Captain Hailey has demonstrated considerable knowledge of team procedure." Quickly covering the distance to the barracks to get out of the heat, Cam listened to Teal'c. "Experience will quantify her abilities, Colonel Mitchell."

"Time will tell?" Cam held open the barrack's tent flap for Teal'c. The interior was well stocked with beds, lockers, and washrooms. The other half of Marine Team Beta had checked any conceivable hiding place – they'd already amassed an impressive collection of hidden weapons.

Teal'c gave the room a quick scan and finally remained at ease. Cam felt reassured that things were safe if the big, old, and wise Jaffa was calm.

"Indeed."

"Anything good?"

Vala shook her head at Hailey's question and tossed the electrical component over her shoulder. "Nothing valuable."

Having ensured that the beaming jammer wasn't going to explode, Hailey flinched at the sound of the component hitting the ground. "Hey! That might be useful." She sighed and picked up the PDA sized part. "Just because we have better doesn't mean this can't be used. Some schools on Earth still use Windows 2000."

Looking around for anything that might prove valuable, Vala nodded idly."Sounds futuristic, even if it is in the past." She moved to a likely looking crate, and began to work on the lock with her combat knife."So Jennifer, how'd you like your first mission with us?"

Hailey shrugged as she tapped on her tablet PC. It was running a translation on the data crystal she'd pulled from the jammer. The fast pace of the battle and current frustration with these wacky Goa'uld systems kept her mind occupied. "They told me to expect action. I guess an orbital strike qualifies." Cursing as the computer froze up, Hailey set it on the crate next to her. "I give up. Let's see if there's anything cool around here."

Vala jammed the knife into the small crease between the lid and the main compartment and looked up to Hailey. "Would you be a dear?"

Hailey waited for Vala to get clear and dropped her foot onto the knife. The lock popped as it broke apart, the small latch holding the crate shut bent at an angle from the strike. The crate shuddered and Vala opened it. They reached inside in tandem and pulled out a bundle of cloth. Rich, smooth, feathery soft cloth. Vala shook one out; it unfurled into a regal shirt. The women shared and a look and smiled.

"Major, we've got the third group to beam up. Right in front of us, sir."

Cam sat on a still-warm chunk of Al'Kesh armor and watched the Lucian Alliance prisoners beam up to the Hammond. Teal'c walked among them – a little insurance if they tried anything.

Cam had taken a sip of his canteen when he heard Hailey on the radio. "Colonel Mitchell?"

"Yeah, Hailey? You find anything useful?"

"I'm not sure, sir. I think you should see this yourself."

Cam got up and stretched his shoulders. He gave Teal'c a wave and pointed to the tower in front of him. Teal'c nodded in acknowledgement..

As Cam moved to meet up with Hailey he thought about how things had come to a head like this. The galaxy had been quiet since the end of the Ori invasion; the biggest threat they'd faced was piracy and the occasional mercenary. The Lucian Alliance had been small peanuts – a tiny blip on the radar of the SGC. Now they were a full fledged enemy, with a mobile base of power. It was rooting out insurgents all over again – it was impossible to tell who was on whose side anymore.

Entering the tower, Cam swallowed upon seeing the blood stain of the Lucian Alliance mercenary he'd killed. The body was in the Hammond's morgue by now, another casualty in this war.

Hailey wasn't his first choice for SG-1. Cam wanted someone with field experience, but the incident with Colonel Telford and Destiny put the SGC on alert. A few pokes and prods from Carolyn and a quick Za'tarc scan proved his own loyalty, but being the flagship team hadn't changed the fact that he needed trustworthy people.

He started down the staircase and turned his thoughts to Hailey and her surprise promotion. Granted, Sam had recommended her, but Cam just wasn't sure about someone so young. She'd had very little field experience; she'd spent most of her time until now in labs and training facilities. Cam didn't doubt that she could perform her duties and not snap under the strain, but this was SG-1.

Sam had championed the young woman and pointed out the parallels in their careers. She'd reminded him that she was no younger when she began, and she was a Captain on SG-1 long before reaching her current rank. He couldn't argue with that.

Cam grunted upon hitting the bottom of the steps and picked up the pace. He wanted experience – little else could prepare someone for combat. But it was that age old problem: she needed experience to be considered capable, but she needed to go into the field to get experience. Despite their occasional diplomatic roles, SG-1 was the tip of the spear that comprised the SGC's forces. It hardly seemed the ideal team to throw a green rookie onto. Cam had literally clawed his way up from being a cripple just to be a part of it. Hailey had been a forced, albeit decent, choice.

He entered the storage room and checked his thoughts when he spotted Hailey. She stood tall and proud, defiant even at her short height, arms crossed in frustration. Cam remembered being a firebrand himself at her age, and besides, Sam wouldn't recommend someone without being damned sure it was a good choice. It was unfair to judge her from such a subjective thing as age. Vala sure as hell didn't act her age, but he'd fight tooth and nail to keep her.

He nodded. "Whacha got, Hailey?"

Hailey rubbed the back of her neck as she pointed down to a crate with her free hand. "Questions, but I don't think I'll like the answers, sir."

Cam looked down into the open crate, and while not recognizing the item itself, instantly understood Hailey's fear.

Sam watched as each prisoner was frisked, and then sent to processing. They'd likely give fake names, but something was better than nothing. The Jaffa would handle them soon, and the Lucian Alliance would slowly be dismantled.

Deep down, Sam had to admit that command wasn't all it was cracked up to be. She adored her crew, and being on this 304 gave her plenty of opportunities to study the technology. She'd even implemented and tested refinements and adaptations she'd designed. But it was all military, very little of it would get released to the public for at least twenty years. The thought of all the good those technologies could do for the world nagged at her conscience.

Sighing to herself as she exited the cargo and detention area, Sam moved down the corridors of the George Hammond. She'd spent quite a bit of time as the commanding officer already – almost a year now. She'd faced some dire threats in that time, but the Lucian Alliance was her recurring menace. She felt almost like it was a cool down period; Goa'uld, Jaffa, Replicators, Ori and Wraith just seemed so much more dangerous.

Even so, Sam didn't want to underestimate the Lucian Alliance. They'd destroyed Icarus, and the last she'd heard, Destiny was a hotly contested place. That – thankfully – wasn't her problem, though, so worrying about it didn't do anything but add to her considerable stress.

She nodded at her crew she passed, and noticed they made a hole for her to walk through. It had taken a few years for that to happen at the SGC – she'd had to prove herself for that honor. Sam amused herself with thoughts of her protégé now having to do the same. She bit her lip at the thought of Cam having to deal with Hailey's still less than appropriate tendency to give people attitude. Sam recalled how she'd originally given then-Colonel O'Neill a similar attitude on meeting him. It still made her cringe.

Sam paused in the entrance to the bridge and studied her crew. All handpicked, some even from Atlantis. She had no doubt this was the best crew in the fleet, and Sam felt proud that this was her command. Atlantis had been a great proving ground that convinced the IOA that she was more than capable of leading in wartime. But as soon as she'd accomplished what she'd set out to, they'd replaced her with…Woolsey. She still had a copy of Sheppard's e-mail that may or may not have been asking for a conspiracy to commit unspecified criminal acts; Sam figured not asking for confirmation was the only legal way out while still getting a laugh from her former second in command.

As she stepped fully onto the bridge she noted Major Marks' pallor. He looked pale with a fine sheen of sweat at his brow. Anything that could affect her second in command like that did not bode well. "What is it, Major?"

"They found something down there," Marks said.. His console beeped with telemetry from Captain Hailey's video recorder. "I think you're going to want to see this, Colonel."

Sam switched off her amused mode and dove straight into serious. She spotted Vala's grave face in the image, and then noticed the equipment in focus. Her stomach dropped as the implications clamored into her mind. "Oh my god. That's a Dell Systems server hub!"

Richard Woolsey set the quickly emailed report from Colonel Carter and Captain Hailey on his desk, sighed softly, and looked up at the man sitting in front of him. "I trust you've gotten used to the new environment?"

"Been here before," Jack said. He idly scanned the main office beside Atlantis' control room. The city had been reassigned as the temporary headquarters of the SGC until it was authorized to return to Pegasus. The Pegasus Gate, which interfered with the operation of the SGC's Gate, had been tucked away in a quiet corner of the galaxy where no one would think to look. For the moment, it was business as usual.

Granted, Jack hadn't expected Atlantis to remain on Earth this long. Giving him an office to oversee 304 operations instead of the one he'd settled into at the Pentagon was definitely a surprise, but it was always difficult dealing with politicians. "On several occasions."

Woolsey gave Jack his typical blasé smile. Jack couldn't help but think that Woolsey was probably thinking about how it was so difficult dealing with the military. "Granted, never as the center of Earth SGC activities." Tapping his finger on the report, Woolsey sighed. "I trust you understand what this report means?" A sarcastic smile was all Jack gave in reply. "The discovery of Earth based equipment, especially high level computer servers and programming, leads to the inescapable conclusion that…"

"They're here," Jack finished. "The Lucian Alliance is on Earth."

Woolsey nodded. "Agreed. And they may have infiltrated into high level corporations much the same as the System Lord Ba'al did several years ago."

"Good ol' Botchy."

Woolsey clasped his hands together in thought. "The equipment is being ferried back by the George Hammond so we'll know more soon enough. I'm sure Homeworld Security will want to have a friendly chat with the prisoners we netted in our raid. They're coming through the Stargate now,."

"I'm sure."

Jack noted Woolsey's tensing muscles – what little the man had – and realized he was getting annoyed with Jack's attitude. "Would you like some coffee, General? Tea, perhaps?"

Grumbling in mock offense, Jack shook his head. "Is the IOA going to do anything about this? I may be head of Homeworld Security but this isn't a military decision. If those drug peddlers are on Earth, I can't do squat without approval."

Gritting his teeth, Woolsey unclasped his hands and began to drum on his desk. Jack had seen this before, it was as far as Woolsey was willing to go in showing his impatience. "I'm not sure, General. They're still worried about possible infiltration in the SGC itself after the Destiny mishap." He raised an eyebrow. "How's that going, by the way?"

"Lousy, forget Destiny. I want to know what our options are."

Jack watched how Woolsey dropped his curiosity of the stranded ship and crew on the edge of the universe as he clarified his intentions - Earth and the Milky Way were more important. "The way I see it, they'll authorize an investigation, and if it leads anywhere they may authorize intervention."

"What kind of intervention?"

Woolsey diverted his attention to the Gate room and watched yet another group of prisoners get escorted through. Jack watched as well - five at a time was a slow process, but Woolsey insisted on trusting Sheppard's 'better safe than sorry' philosophy when it came to base security. Jack didn't disagree. "Direct." He looked back to Jack. "Given that some high level corporations may be involved, I would be mindful of any investments the government may have."

"Investments?" Jack raised an eyebrow. "You're talking about money?"

Woolsey shook his head. "No, General. At least not directly. Without information on how deep the infiltration is, we'll have to be very careful about who we trust with this information. I trust you've kept the lid on it to the Joint Chiefs?"

Jack nodded, now understanding. "Yeah, but the IOA'll find out soon enough. Then there'll be hell to pay."

Woolsey held up his hand in a peaceful gesture. "Leave them to me. They may not like me as much anymore, but the IOA council is not stupid. The thought that the Lucian Alliance could have infiltrated our highest levels of government will put the fear of God or gods plural in them."

"That, or I'll get Daniel to ascend again." Jack quirked his lip up in amusement. His expression sobered. "What if it's not the government?"

Woolsey continued to drum his fingers on the desk. "That's a very real possibility. Ba'al was able to control a biomedical firm and clone himself; who knows what the Lucian Alliance could be up to? Lord knows it wouldn't be difficult to destabilize our economy or military."

"Wonderful." Jack used his fingers to rub away the tension above his right eye. Sometime he really did think being 'the man' brought the threat of an aneurism. He was glad he'd spent time with Hammond learning a few tricks of the trade while he'd had the chance. "Scale of one to ten, twelve's a good description for how screwed we are?"

Woolsey swallowed the lump in his throat. He leaned forward and said, "Depending on how deep, and in which sectors the infiltration is, twelve may be optimistic."

Jack continued to rub the tension away and then closed his eyes. Something told him this was just the beginning, and by the end of it he'd either be dead or at least close to it. If not from a direct attack on his person, from the weight of responsibility for a planet under siege.

Nothing was ever simple anymore. Jack missed Thor more than ever now. It sucked big time not having an older, wiser, stronger brother hanging around with a big honkin' space gun over your shoulder when the bullies were around.

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