Note: just after the end of the first episode of season 2 Stargate SG-1.
To Saissa: I know that USAF have JAG (and Army too) but in this universe NAVY have sole responsibility to all operations (supply/passenger air and ship transports) over Antarctica so this is why Harm and Mac were the ones doing the investigation.
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Chapter 2 – Strange Court Martial
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0925 local, Thursday 23rd April 1998, JAG HQ
Admiral knew that something was wrong when he received call from Secretary of Defense. He only got one before and just like before he asked for Rabb and MacKenzie to help with the 'Deep Space Radar Telemetry' unit. Last few days were strange enough. First the military went to high alert. Then Air Force launched two modified Minuteman missiles from Vandenberg to orbit and then there was the shortest military shuttle flight in history. Endeavour landed at Edwards just hour ago. This was by no means a mere coincidence.
Harm and Mac arrived before he could change channel on his TV back to ZNN. "Major, Commander. SecDef wants you at Andrews in fifty minutes!"
"Admiral?" asked Harm. "Where are we going?"
Chegwidden looked at him and put down his glasses. "He did not told me. Just that it will take few days and that there will be C-22 waiting for you at Andrews in two hours. It's top secret and that's all I know."
Harm and Mac did not moved and just stared at their CO. "What are you waiting for. Dismiss."
"Aye, aye, sir."
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1320 local, Thursday 23rd April 1998, Peterson AFB, Colorado Springs
When the C-32 landed at Peterson most of the passengers left the plane. They were cadets from the Air Force Academy or Special Forces that returned home. They were home here and knew where to go. Harm and Mac felt that they did not belonged here. One problem was that they were here not on official business for JAG. The second was that without someone from the SGC they would not have a way to get in.
Thankfully SGC sent car for them. Major Ferretti volunteered and since Jack was still under orders not to leave the base it was probably the best option.
Ferretti stopped his staff car only few meters away from the two officers he was here to meet. They looked lost. He saluted and then he offered them his hand. "Major, Commander. I'm Major Ferretti. General Hammond wants to see you ASAP."
Both of them saluted back and Harm than shook Major's hand. "Thank you for coming here for us, Major."
1430 local, Thursday 23rd April 1998, SGC, Colorado Springs
After they were checked several times on their way in they were led thru the corridors and two elevators down to the to 27th level. Once there Major Ferretti took them straight to the briefing room.
Nearly all the seats were already taken. There were several senior officers from Pentagon, SG-1 and some other members of SGC.
"Major, Commander, Welcome to SGC. I know that you were not told much so I will tell you what happened." General Hammond decided that he should brief the JAG officers himself. When they had to introduce new people to the program previously he usually let others to do it. This time it was different. Jack and Cater were the one that would be under investigation and except for Ferretti there were not much of the senior officers present at the base now.
"In the past few days our civilization barely escaped destruction. You probably noticed that all our military units were put on DEFCON 2 for a few hours."
Harm nodded. He got call from reserve fighter squadron that was short on pilots to prepare for eventual activation as fight pilot.
"You probably asked yourselves why you are here. Senator Kinsey wants court martial for SG-1. On the other hand President himself wants to give them medals for saving our planet."
Harm and Mac alike raised their eyebrows. That really was delicate situation.
"As you know senator can not sent military officers to court martial."
Both JAG officers nodded at that. Air Force used the same laws written in UCMJ like the Navy and Marine Corps did.
"By the book you do not have any jurisdiction over SGC but you already have knowledge about Stargate program. Joint Chiefs and President wanted to give Kinsey his shot and at the same time make sure that SG-1 come out of it as clean as possible."
Harm smiled at that. He was not a fan of senator Kinsey himself.
"I want to see your preliminary report at 1600 tomorrow. SG-1 and any other personnel will be at your disposal. We prepared two VIP rooms at level 25 for you."
"Yes, sir." replied both JAG officers at the same time.
As she was part of the senior staff of the base Janet was in the briefing room too. "Since you will be here for a few days I need to give you two check up."
Mac looked unbelievable at the petite doctor. "Is that necessary?" She hated medical checkups.
"It is, Major!" replied Janet in her commanding doctor voice. "Now when we have all people back from Alpha site we resumed our normal operations. You will be here for some time so there is risk of exposing you to alien infection."
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1500 local, Thursday 23rd April 1998, VIP Room 4, Level 25, SGC
After doctor Fraiser was done with them Harm and Mac went to the two rooms they were assigned for the duration of their stay and prepared for the investigation. They could not talk with General Hammond and Colonel O'Neill at the same time as they were two most senior officers of the base. So they decided to talk with the General together and then divide the rest of officers and civilians between them. They worked like that on most of their investigation and the fact that they talked with Air Force officers and civilians did not mattered at all.
General Hammond told them about the orders to close the SGC and his unsuccessful tries to counter them. Harm asked more questions than Mac as he had more background with special operations than she had. Mac asked few but to the point about the access to the armory and to the gate room and it's operating computers. After nearly hour and a half both Ham and Mac knew as much as they could about the incident with some minor details that did not got the report that General wrote just after SG-1 went thru the gate and they were not able to establish the wormhole again.
Flashback:
Just after Jack left his office Hammond opened the second envelope he got from president's aide. He read the page three times and then he shredded it. He had to prepare for the outcome of the letter for Jack and the advise he gave to Sam.
When ha was sure that Jack had enough time to read the letter he ordered most remaining personnel and the guards to prepare and pack the upper levels for the shipment to other locations.
Hammond knew that if he left his office and the lower levels with less than skeleton crew it would give SG-1 the time to decide what to do. He went to the mess to take sandwich and then he wandered through the now more or less packed labs at level 19.
End of flashback.
When they were finished with General Hammond Mac handled the guard that stood at the corridor her list of the people she wanted to interview. Harm handled his to the guards before they started. She moved her briefcase and papers to the other VIP room and prepared for Colonel O'Neill. He was in charge of SG-1 and it was his responsibility that they followed orders.
Mac wanted to know what lead the leader of SG-1 to his unauthorized mission. He told her about his
Flashback:
When Jack found out that Hammond returned from Washington he went to his office to talk to him. The answer General brought from the capital he was not pleased t all.
"The Stargate will be buried, literally and figuratively."
"So we will leave our planet without defense?" Jack was ready to leave. He was pissed of on politicians. That was why USA lost the Vietnam war.
"Jack, wait!" ordered Hammond.
"What?" asked Jack and turned back in the door.
"President sent you this." Hammond gave Jack sealed blue envelope with president's seal and J written on one side.
"What's inside?" asked Jack as he looked at the envelope.
"I don't know but you should open it and read whatever is inside."
Jack pocketed the envelope and left the office.
End of flashback.
"So you already decided not to follow orders at that time?"
Jack leaned back in his seat and looked that the lawyer before him. He faced Air Force investigators before. After few of his black ops missions went south he had to answer for his actions. "No! At that point I was just pissed off. I went to my quarter and read the letter. After that I returned to the briefing room. Rest of my team was already there."
Flashback:
"A medical attack could be successful."
"Surgical attack, Teal'c. It's called a surgical attack," corrected him Jack. He had to thought about all the possibilities. On one hand they had been ordered to do nothing. On the other hand he knew what was at stake here.
The letter he got from president himself was clear it was up to him.
Colonel O'Neill, as you already know I can not override Senate on this matter. I also can not give you any orders that would violate Senates decision. I know you served our country for many years and what you already sacrificed. I want you to know that if you choose to act on the information you have and you save our planet I will make sure you will not be sent to court-martial.
President
PS: Use your tactical skills and remember your officer's and SGC program oaths.
"And I'd feel like an idiot."
"Sir?" asked Sam.
"I was answering Daniel's question. If we don't do something now and they do attack later...I'd feel like an idiot." Jack finally decided. "We go."
Sam remembered the conversation she had with Hammond just after he returned from Washington. "I, too, will go." Sam followed her heart and instincts and the man she admired.
"It's not an order, Captain."
"I understand that, Colonel."
"Thank you."
End of flashback.
At the same time Captain Samantha Carter told Harm nearly the same thing from her point of view. She added one thing that the rest of the team did not know. She did not told that to anyone.
Flashback:
Sam watched the security monitors and saw General Hammond at the checkpoint at the second elevator. She excused herself and run to his office. His face showed the result of his trip to Washington.
"General, so it's final?"
"I'm afraid so."
"In that case, I need advise from uncle George." said Sam and gave him her best puppy look.
"What do you want, Sam?"
"What should I do?"
"Sam, you are smart, brave and you know how to handle tough situations. Follow your heart and you will be fine."
"I hope so." Sam knew that she wanted to continue to go to missions but as long as she would follow the advise she got she thought that in the end she would be fine.
End of flashback.
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1500 local, Saturday 25th April 1998, SGC
General Hammond was reading the report in his office when Jack knocked at his door. He looked up and waved to his second in command to come in.
"Sit down, Jack."
Jack took the one of the two chairs that General Hammond had here for visitors. He knew that the two JAG lawyers worked hard on their report. After they were finished with their interviews they went through relevant papers concerning SGC and their operations.
"They did good job. This report is shorter and better than most I ever read from our own JAG officers."
Jack smiled nervously. "So we came out clean?"
"Not completely. They recommend non judicial punishment. While you disobeyed your orders you did what you swore to do to defend United States and the whole planet when you accepted position as my second in command and leader of SG-1. On the other hand you used government property without authorization."
"I know that. Hell, we all knew that we will face punishment if we return."
"I will think of something appropriate. I can't held you on base as Sam is here more than enough already. And I need you in the field so that eliminate this option."
Jack knew that Hammond could find something that would be punishment and at the same time it would not put them or the planet in danger.
Hammond closed the file and put it in the folder that contained everything about the mission and sealed documents about the shuttle flight. "Where are they now?"
"They are in the Infirmary. Fraiser wanted to give them quick exam before they leave." Two of the teams that went on missions have already returned. One of them from planet with exotic plants and insects so there were slight risk of infection.
"I would like to see them before they leave."
Jack grinned at that. "General, I know the look you now have. You want them to be part of SGC."
"We need someone from JAG to help us. These two already know a lot of stuff about us."
"But they are not Air Force." Jack knew that SGC was created as special project and they used Marines but that was something different.
"No, they are not." Agreed Hammond. "But I already called the Joint Chiefs and they agreed with me on that matter. Sooner or later we will have legal problems with some of our men and women and I do not want to give our secrets to too much lawyers so we need to consider someone from the JAG anyway."
Jack only smiled at that.
"Anyway, Jack. What was in the letter you got from President?"
"I think you already figured it out, sir."
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1940 local, Wednesday 6th May, Harm's apartment
They were resting together on the couch after long day at court. Mac was on top of Harm and used his chest as a pillow. "So Harm, do you think that they will really transfer you?"
"I think so. General Hammond know how to do it without raising too much attention."
"You know if you will be part of SGC we will not have to keep our relationship secret any more."
"Not that we have to do it now. Admiral is not against it. He plans to keep Bud and Harriet together after they are married."
"I know its just it would be more difficult with us. Harriet is not Judge Advocate after all.
"Ninja Girl, I know the look. What are you planning?"
Mac got up and went to his bathroom. "Care to join me for shower?" She did not waited for answer and pulled up her sweatshirt and tossed it to the floor. She stripped rest of her clothes before she got to the shower.
"Always!" said Harm and hurried after Mac. He also stripped all of his clothes on the way. When he got to his shower Mac was already inside and had the water running.
Harm hugged her from behind. Mac moaned as she felt his erection on her butt. She turned her head to see her best friend. "Kiss first, lovemaking later, Flyboy."
Harm turned her so he could kiss her and put his hand on he ass cheeks. Harm put series of kisses on Mac's neck. She moaned. This was her weak point. While he did that he took her boobs to his hands and started to play with Mac's nipples.
Mac was holding up but barely. Harm did not yet got to her pussy and she was already completely wet inside.
"I want you inside. Now!"
Harm pushed Mac against wall and held her up by her ass. Mac enveloped him with her legs and let him to slide her down on his dick. Somewhere deep inside her mind she knew they should use condom but with the more than likely transfer of Harm from JAG she did not cared anymore.
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1030 local, Monday 11th May, JAG HQ
Harm stood in Admiral's office to receive his new orders. He knew that soon he would be part of the super secret command and he would be stationed at JAG while his services would not be needed.
"Commander, I received your new orders from the Pentagon. Looks like your involvement with Air Force got you new assignment."
Harm only nodded.
"As of tomorrow morning you are transferred to Pentagon to special project DSRT52. Since your position do not require your permanent presence and you are needed here at JAG HQ you will be TAD."
"Yes, sir."
"Tomorrow you will report at Pentagon and finish your transfer papers."
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1720 local, Tuesday 12th May 1998, JAG HQ
It was long day. Harm had to sign a lot of papers concerning his transfer and his TAD position. After that he talked with officers at Pentagon that were associated with SGC and for few minutes he also talked with Joint Chiefs. It took him all morning and he was glad that he returned before Mac left for home. After he sorted his own papers Harm went to Mac's office. "You ready for your date, Mac?"
Mac put last two folders she had on her desk to their respective drawers. "With you? Always."
Harm grinned at her. Now that they were not under the same chain of command they did not had to hide any more.
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Next chapter – TBD, eventually Thor's Crash