Disclaimer: All character references and appearances to those related to Stargate: SG1 are not of my own creation. The plot and rest of the characters are of my own making.

Chapter One - The Familiar and the Strange

For weeks it was the same thing over and over, but there wasn't anything she could do about it. Kali Ravvens actually enjoyed the rigors of her training, the set schedule changing only slightly, yet with a steady pace that soothed her easily disturbed mind. Since childhood, unexplained and abrupt changes had always shaken her, yet as she matured she mastered the art of hiding how sensitive she was from others. It was a cursed blessing that she had managed to talk herself into following her brother into the Air Force training routine, but it was this routine which amazingly bothered Jason Ravvens far more than his sister.

Slightly curled hair fell about her shoulders, only lightly brushing against her nondescript black shirt while dark brown eyes studied her M-16. She had broken the weapon down, cleaned it, and reconstructed it so many times, she wouldn't be surprised if she could do this in the time it took half of the people in the middle of boot camp to break and rebuild theirs without the cleaning thrown in. But, that was only a statement Jason would make, boasting something she didn't want noticed. She had handled weaponry before as their mother owned a weaponry and hunting shop. Kali was quite proud of herself, in a secret sort of way, to know that she could handle most of the weapons in that shop.

Jason, seeming to know he had crossed his sister's mind, wandered over to where she was sitting, promptly plopping down next to her in an arrogant display of masculine grace. With shortly cropped blonde hair and steely-gray eyes and looming over the smaller woman, they looked nothing alike. Nothing in their faces matched, and their skin tone was completely different, hers being more than a few shades paler, no matter that she had spent just as much time outside as he had. He was another sort of breed from Kali, outgoing and his radiance screaming to the world, 'Look at me, here I am!'

Perhaps one of the strangest things about their family was that the two of them were the same age, celebrating their birthday on the same day. Yet, Kali still felt that Jason was so much older no matter what. He had always been her personal protector, a role she had never asked of him and which he never blamed her for. It was simply how they were. Both carried copies of the same family picture, and it was often said that Jason looked as much like his mother as Kali looked like their father.

Kali did look up at him, her hands moving over her weapon as she finished reconstruction, feeling for any faults before she took half a moment's rest and started taking it apart once again. Jason met her eyes and looked down at the weapon she wasn't even gazing at, then rolled his eyes.

"God's sake, woman. It's your last bit of time off before you get shipped home for a bit, and you're still screwing around with that damn gun?" he complained to her, then gave a half grin. Had Kali not grown up with the young man, she would have been offended by his scolding tone, but paired with his knowing look, she didn't even bat an eyelash at him. With Jason, everything was fine.

"I'm just thinking how I'm going to miss this place," she said offhandedly, earning a scoff from her brother.

"Oh, yes, I'm going to sorely miss getting up at six and not being able to even nap until five, which would ruin my night's sleep and throw off my eating schedule. Not to mention that weird shower bit they came up with. If I had my way, the routine would be much funner," he grinned, yet all of his talk was boastful.

While he looked forward to their work to come to fruition and something to finally come back to them for their hard work, Kali was nervous and wanted to cling onto what had become familiar. And Jason knew that as he looked back to her constantly moving hands. While some would say she was obsessive compulsive about her rifle, he knew that if he simply took the damn thing away, she would just pent up her tense energy and do something else later when she could get her hands on anything. And anything meant anything from a shoelace to someone else's weapon. She was venting physically just as he would vocally.

"Funner isn't really a word," she pointed out, looking down at the pieces she had, then started putting them back together. "And I know… I'm probably going to loose something at this rate… but I'm not really off just yet. I've been… summoned and I have to attend in half an hour," she shivered nervously at the prospect. "I think they're going to make me repeat training, or I did something wrong, or…"

"Nah," Jason reached out and grabbed Kali's shoulder firmly. She finished reconstruction and put the weapon up before Jason continued, "They can't do that when you've done nothing wrong. Your work was flawless. Hell, you're one of the best here, even better than some of the guys. You work hard… and I don't even think they know how nervous you are. Even if you are, it's not like you're asking to be on the front lines, just going through the Air Force to get a nice old job doing whatever you want."

Kali smiled faintly, reassured a little by his touch and reassurances. He was familiar, and they were transferring to the same place, so she knew she could depend on him to be there for her. But she still worried that they knew she was… flawed. Not really the type for military life, she didn't often speak up unless answering a superior. But that was all that was expected of her, so she did wonder why she was being put under review. Or maybe it wasn't even review. She allowed herself to consider that she really was a useful person and maybe they only wanted to… talk. But what about?

"I just wish I knew what they were thinking," she lowered her head, a black curtain of hair falling about her face and shielding herself from being seen. Jason simply brushed her hair out of her face and frowned thoughtfully.

"You're my kin," he said firmly. "I've stood by you while you were teased and beat the crap out of anyone who spoke badly to you or of me. I won't allow even the government to look down on you. You don't have to take anything they say, you haven't signed yourself away to anything just yet. If they bother you, just back out. You've gotten something from this, you always get something important from anything you do. Just go back to Mom and her store and decide on a nice college."

Kali knew then that he had been considering this route for himself as well. He never said anything that he hadn't applied to himself, and though he was a little narrow minded, it gave him a large amount of confidence when he spoke because he had thought very hard on what he was speaking about and felt he was an authority because of that.

It amused Kali to no end when she constantly provided new insights to something and completely threw him off balance. But still, whenever he said anything, it caught the attention of anyone listening to him and made them believe that anything he said might be a solid and reasonable path without trouble or shame. Thankfully, he hadn't yet suggested jumping off of a bridge in his convincing tone, a thought that Kali kept to herself. She wouldn't even tell Jason everything that she thought, even though she knew that he would have been amused and tempted to try it.

"I suppose," she murmured in answer, looking away as he removed his hand from her shoulder. "I still don't even know what I want to go into for certain, and I'm afraid that's what they want to talk about…"

Jason observed her for a moment after she had said this, then offered a shrug. Her guess was as good as his, the gesture said. And that's not really the answer she had been hoping for. Still, she felt a little less stressed and worried after having talked to someone.

"Have you said your good-byes to all of your new friends?" she inquired thoughtfully. Jason wordlessly pulled out a small address book and flipped it open. Crammed sloppily onto one page in no particular order, a few names and phone numbered were scrawled in many different styles of handwriting. For a moment she stared at the page, then burst into silent laughter. She have given that to him for a present before they had come here, and he had never bothered with really looking at it past the soft hide the outside was made from, and the golden page border which fascinated him. But the uses of the book were fated to be abused, as he couldn't be bothered to flip around between the pages, or even use his own handwriting.

"We'll say farewell over the phone before we're shipped off and the government eats our brains and makes us zombies. You should know that," he said, nudging her playfully. Some things never really ever changed, and as Kali laughed a little harder, she was grateful for such small blessings. He suddenly grabbed her in an affectionate hug, a rare display which Kali took full advantage of and returned his embrace without a moment's hesitation.

000

Only a handful of minutes to 18:00 hours, Kali presented herself to the familiar and unfamiliar people of the Air Force. Her salute was stiff and formal, her face an impassive mask hiding all of the tense fear she had displayed earlier. Her hair was done up tightly into a bun at the nape of her neck and her hat placed so it covered most of even that. Her uniform had been straightened and her boots shined a little as well, making herself appear very well groomed and respectful. Not to say that she wasn't initially respectful, but under her stoic mask, she looked as if one could light fireworks by hear head and she wouldn't flinch. Inside, her stomach was churning madly, which was almost painful considering the knots already in there.

"At ease, Ravvens," her usual superior said, his tone just as sharp as ever, though it no longer made her flinch openly. Her hands lowered and she gripped her wrist behind her back, legs shoulder width apart. Her formality seemed to surprise the two strangers present, both of which were high ranking officers… and people Kali instinctively smelled 'secrets' all over. However, she kept her eyes focused ahead, waiting for whatever punishment she was to be given and the reasoning for it… having only finished boot camp, it was highly unlikely anything good could come of this meeting.

"She looks very at ease," she nearly lost her composure at the strange General's words, wondering for a moment what she had done wrong. She was only standing by as she had been taught. What did he want for her to do? Lounge against a wall and chew gum? Without waiting for a reply, though, he stood and moved closer, peering at her closely. She never once moved, having not been spoken to, her eyes not even flickering to glance at him. She could only watch out of her peripheral vision as he seemed to… circle her? Evaluate her? Her chin raised a fraction, almost defiantly to the scrutiny.

"Colonel Carter and Major General O'Neill are here to evaluate you for a rather special… program," she didn't react to this in the least, only to answer, "Yes, sir," in a brisk voice. She had never heard of either of these people before, nor of any special program, and wondered, perhaps for the hundredth time, what the hell was going on?

Carter stepped forward then, considering her with a gentler stare than the Major General, yet with the same intent gaze. Again, Kali held her ground, watching… and feeling for both of the strangers. They were still close and something seemed other-wordly about them. Their presence nearly caused Kali to retreat, but the weeks of her training paid off heavily as she refused to give in to her imagined suspicions.

"I wonder," she said softly, then looked to the head of the boot camp, "if we could inspect her privately? It's the nature of the Stargate program," she said it suggestively, yet it was a command. The man inclined his head and left, the door closing firmly behind himself. Then, the Colonel turned and looked back to Kali. "I think you might know the exact reasons of why we're here."

For a moment, Kali lost control and glanced at the older woman's eyes, then mastered herself and looked away, still no expression crossing her face. In truth, she was baffled about this suggestion, but didn't let her mind stray too far from the fact she had to answer. Without much hesitation, she gave a firm, "No, ma'am.'

Carter gave a soft humming noise, then shrugged at the Major General, who raised an eyebrow. His strange attitude reminded her of Jason, aloft and easy to interpret as arrogant, yet she believed his intentions in his manner were not cruel. However, Kali was often wrong about people, and simply reserved her judgement. Instead of pondering on his behavior, though, she ventured to speak out of turn. "Have I done something wrong, Ma'am?"

Both gazed at her appraisingly until she stopped breathing. Why did they keep looking at her like that? It was going to drive her insane! Her jaw clenched as she waited for a response, the gesture a little more visible than her previous breaks in acting stoic.

"Nah," the General said, still managing to look dignified. "Not yet, at least. We're not holding our breath."

The Colonel shot him a glance that made Kali believe they had known each other for a long time. "We heard you are a very promising young woman," she said with more formality than her superior. "And we are interested in recruiting you to our program."

Secrets. Kali almost shivered, wanting to get away from these two, a strange fear gripping her. They were unfamiliar and strange to her. Her jaw clenched and unclenched for a moment before she inquired, loosing a little of her own formality, "May I ask what the Stargate Program is?"

"A top secret military operation comprised of elements from the Air Force, U.S. Army, Marines, and a few foreign military operatives," she said simply. For a moment, Kali wondered why the General hadn't answered, only to wonder shortly after if he could even say anything formal without a twist of words or tone that suggested something other than formality. What was his purpose here, in that case? "However, before we disclose the true nature of this operation to you, we must put you under a contract of secrecy."

Kali remained silent for a bit, waiting for more, but there was nothing more. Her neck was starting to get stiff and her jaw was starting to ache. After this, she would probably have to start running laps to get the rest of her tension out, or she wouldn't be able to sleep or focus. "Why," she said finally as curiosity grabbed at her, "is the government recruiting out of boot camps for such an important program?"

Another pause of silence. She had a point, and she knew it. She had no experience and it seemed a bit early in her life to be entrusted with something so secretive. Her eyes wavered again as she looked at the General, who seemed in the verge of speaking, but never made a move to say anything. Her eyes then moved to the Colonel, who seemed to be considering her words very carefully.

"There are certain times when we make exceptions to the rules and certain people who prove themselves and who we wish to begin training early on. Considering the duration for which the program has been running, we've gotten our own personal training facilities fully incorporated and can pull recruits out of boot camps more often," she said, pausing so Kali could process this information. She really used big words well, something that amused Kali to no end. Still, she didn't trust these two people to be fully truthful. "The only thing left to say is that there is no other experience on this world quite like being a part of the Stargate program."

That, she didn't doubt. What she did doubt was something else deeper. That these people would regret having her when they learned she was a coward at heart and fled from conflict. Still, the prospect intrigued her enough that she nodded finally. "I would like to know more."

The secrecy contract was signed after Kali spent her time carefully reading all of the fine print. She could be sent to prison or a crazy house for going about and spreading rumors of the program, it pretty much said. Old as this program seemed to be, it was only getting more and more guarded, the contract hinted. Once the paperwork was filled in, the General took the papers, gave a salute and an almost cross-sounding farewell, before walking out. After a moment, the Colonel lead Kali outside to where a car was waiting. She wondered if Jason would get worried, but then quieted her own wondering superstitiously. This trip, she had been told, shouldn't take too long. She ought to be back in contact with her brother within hours.

Not that she really trusted that, either.

000

Samantha Carter paused after sliding into the back seat. Thankfully, this particular boot camp wasn't far from their destination, something the government had planned on. When Ravvens had been spotted on the list of recruits, strings were pulled to put her close to the Cheyenne Mountain complex. The young woman who sat next to her and closed the door, making few wasted movements in strap herself in and settling down quietly radiated an almost eerie calm. Sam doubted it was more than a show, but when Ravvens still didn't relax out of the public eye, she found herself frowning.

Of course Kali wouldn't know the mysteries around herself. Her parents had sworn under contract to never tell their adopted daughter about the strange occurrences around how she had been found, in a torn and burnt field in the arms of a dead woman. There was nothing more than the strange appearance of the scene to suggest there was any connection to the young woman and any of the alien races she could have been in touch with, or that might have influenced her. For the most part, she simply seemed to be an aloft and intelligent young woman, but Sam knew that it was dangerous not to investigate her as well, just in case.

She closed her eyes with a soft sigh, pulling her thoughts together. Jack had been there to try and identify if there was anything out of the ordinary with her. She would have probably asked Daniel to come with her if Jack hadn't already been there, checking up on the progress of things. Only months ago, Sam herself had been off-world on Atlantis, but recent circumstances had pulled her back home to Earth, and her previous promise years ago to personally investigate the suspicious circumstances around Kali Ravvens kept her in the same place. But, it was with Jack's help that she hadn't had to fight her way into pulling Kali off of the grounds, or into doing anything that could have been required if Kali had turned out to be unduly hostile.

She looked to the younger woman and remembered the photographs of the woman's maimed body and the tortured earth that looked like a large crash had occurred. The suspected alien's body had long since been cremated and the ground re-sculpted, but the police and offhand government allowances kept things quiet for Kali's peace of mind. This had been a quick and effective way to slide over the incident, and a perfect way to pick the investigation back up. In fact, save for the strange blue of the deceased's woman's eyes, Kali looked everything like what the woman might have been, unwounded. But, as an infant, she had shared the same color in her eyes. But now, they had changed to the nearly black shade of brown that her adopted family had. Sam's lips thinned, wondering if it was simply the natural change of eye color that many infants went through, or some alien adaptation.

Ravvens seemed to know that Sam was watching her, as she managed to straighten even more, her hands folded neatly in her lap and jaw clenching once again. She seemed to have a strange habit of doing that, something that reminded her of Teal'c when the Jaffa was growing irritated. Maybe she was of Jaffa descent? No, there had been no pouch noted on the body, and even the Jaffa women had that. Her stiffness was also uncharacteristic of the Jaffa, who seemed to be relaxed and eternally vigilant. And she couldn't be a part of the more advanced races, or she would have shown early signs of causing an unexplained phenomenon.

Watching her sit like that made Sam's back hurt. She gave a soft sigh and checked their progress. Only a few more minutes to go. "Ravvens," she said abruptly, causing the young woman to jump. "If you have any questions, feel free to ask."

Kali hesitated only a fraction of a second before answering with a crisp, "Yes, Ma'am." But it was the hesitation Sam had been looking for. She was still young and inexperienced, and any lack of reaction to this gesture of creating openness between them would have troubled Sam. It was high time they unraveled Kali's history and determined if there was anything on a need-to-know basis before she could fully return to a normal life. And, having her full cooperation, the task seemed much easier, but no less a puzzle. In nineteen years, many trails may have become cold and nearly impossible to find.

Author Notes: First chapter, done. I might have gone longer, but I need a small break. I was up 'til all hours last night just thinking about how to go about this section of the fanfic, and short of browsing and borrowing other people's ideas, I decided to just write and make it sound plausible. I mean, Jack has times when he wants to check on The Kids, Sam always winds up back at SGC it seems, and she would be interested in a new challenge like this. And if she could take Jack to throw some military weight around in case their subject went nuts and needed to be… quieted… it would help with clean up later afterwards. Can't be too careful, even if the alien was raised as a human.

I also figure the government wouldn't want to mess around with the possibility of an alien child. Between the fact this incident was public and possibly near a city, and the news was all about the mystery child of an unknown woman who was "murdered", they wouldn't want to take government custody of the child, but instead give her to a family with strict guidelines, keeping a close eye on them for the first decade or so, until they decided the child was no threat.

In reviewing the timeline, I'm going to estimate the child's arrival would date in 1990, when the government already knows what could be out there, but would also not want anything to do with a possible alien that looks so human. That would put the year of this fic in 2009, about 3 years after the season's end. And we all know that in three years, the SGC has a tendency to move everywhere and no where. I'll introduce what they've been doing and why the Gate isn't public yet soon.

And, in case anyone wants to know, I'm not going to really do much of anything with the Ori at this point. I got bored with the storyline when it went in that direction, so I'm just skimming summaries of how it ends. I might involve them later, as they too posed as Gods, but the Goa'uld are making a wonderful return. And I'm toying with many ideas on the personalities of the new ones I'm introducing. Also, since many Gods have been seen as contradicting themselves, I'm going to take the liberty of saying that one Goa'uld has overwritten others in the past…

Now, either a hyper and somewhat insane Goa'uld or a brooding one. Choices, choices…

And much thanks for the review :3 Didn't expect anyone to even notice, hehe. And some things will be revealed about the mother later on, or so I'm hoping.