WARNING: I have raised the rating level of this story due to some comments by General Kate that may be offensive. They are planning a war.
Council of War
By Latergatr
Her eyes firmly fixed on the annoying computer monitor on her desk, Kate Lippert was distracted by a movement that caught the corner of her eye. Thank God, she thought, but her relief was short-lived when she looked up to see her EA, Captain Steve Washington, rush into her office, a panicked look on his face - and this man never panicked.
"Ma'am!" he gasped, "Admiral Garner is on his way -" but he was cut off as Admiral Garner himself burst through the door into her office. Looking past him, Kate could see his deputy, Lt Gen Metcalf, stopping short in the reception area.
"Kate! Come with us. We're needed on Level 27 immediately!"
Kate rose swiftly, following Garner as he spun and hurried out the door. She called to Washington, "Cancel the rest of my appointments!" as they rushed out the door.
"What's going on?" she asked, catching up with Metcalf as they hurried toward the elevator.
"Don't know yet. Boss hasn't said. Just grabbed me and rushed out."
Admiral Garner was silent, but clearly agitated, as they made it to the elevator, where a young SF was holding the door for them, with the elevator car at the ready. They rode down to the sign-in point at the SGC's highest level, where they were met by two more flags from other commands housed in Cheyenne Mountain. The Admiral instructed an SF officer there to sign them all in, and proceeded to the second elevator, where yet another SF was waiting, holding that door. Finally in a cleared space, Garner filled them in quickly.
"The SGC has at long last received coms from the Atlantis expedition. They're in trouble - expecting an invading force of hostile aliens - and are in the process of evacuating. After reviewing the reports Dr. Weir sent, the Joint Chiefs have decided the technology in Atlantis is too valuable to lose. We've been ordered by the Chairman to go assist Jack O'Neill in planning the defense of Atlantis."
Kate's heart hammered; she could feel the adrenalin flowing. How do you wage war against an enemy you know nothing about? An enemy with technology most likely vastly superior to your own?
The elevator doors slid open, and another junior officer met them. "This way sirs, ma'am." They hurried to the SGC briefing room.
There was Jack O'Neill, surrounded by his colonels, the team leaders, and senior officers. Dr. Jackson she recognized, as well as Lieutenant Colonel Carter, Colonels Reynolds and Dixon, and a few of the civilian scientists who had participated in their weekly briefings over the last few weeks. Plans were spread over the table, and the LCD wall screen also had schematics displayed. The crowd in the room grew to overburdened proportions as she and the other flag officers arrived.
O'Neill only glanced up briefly at their entrance, turning his attention back to the document laden table. He was all business as he spoke. "Gentlemen, Ma'am, you're here at the insistence of the Joint Chiefs, not by my invitation. We don't have a lot of time here, so I'd appreciate it if you'd just kept that in mind," he said curtly.
"General O'Neill!" Garner barked. "We are here to render our advice and assistance. Every one of us has experience here to share."
O'Neill looked up and stared at him. "I'm sorry, sir; exactly how many times have you planned a defense against an highly advanced alien enemy? This one is so advanced technologically that they sent the Ancients packing a million years ago!"
The room went totally silent, Kate saw Garner wince. The infamous O'Neill sarcasm strikes again, she thought, He's in trouble again. Kate's eyes darted around the room to gauge the reactions of O'Neill's subordinates. To her surprise, she saw neither surprise nor shock in their eyes. She read only determination and support there.
Garner unexpectedly backed off, motioning to O'Neill.
"It's your show, Jack."
Jack acquiesced. "I'm sorry sir; didn't mean to be snippy. Daniel! Carter!" He called to the other side of the briefing room, where the pair had their faces practically touching the computer screen, deep in concentration. Jackson actually jumped at Jack's call, so intent was he. "Brief our visitors - let them know our status."
Doctor Jackson rose to his feet and moved to the corner of the room where Kate and the others still stood together. Carter quickly entered something else into the computer, and then followed.
"Well, ah, here's where we are so far," Daniel began, "Atlantis is about to come under attack by an alien race called the Wraith. They're sort of a vampire race - they feed on humans. As you've heard," he gestured back toward Jack, "they're also very highly technologically advanced. They have huge spacecraft, called hive ships, where thousands of them live. They also use smaller attack vessels, called darts. They have a type of beaming technology that they use to beam their human victims aboard the darts.
"Now, Atlantis has intelligence that three of these hive ships are on there way. The city has shields which could protect them, but not enough power to use them. They have some weaponry, but not nearly enough to fight off a hive ship. Among the weapons found on Atlantis is a chair device like we, uh, Jack, used in Antarctica.
"Dr. Weir, who is in charge of the Atlantis expedition, has decided that in order to protect her people, it's best to avoid an armed conflict that they could not possibly win. Therefore, she has ordered an evacuation of the city, planning to destroy it before the Wraith arrive."
"Excuse me, Dr. Jackson," Kate interrupted, but have there been casualties already fighting against the Wraith? How many military personnel do we have there?"
"Yes, General, there have been casualties. We also know that the military commander, Colonel Sumner, was killed very early on, and military command has been assumed by Major Sheppard ever since."
"A Major?" asked Garner. "What is his background?"
"He's a pilot."
"A pilot! And he's in charge of planning the defense of the city?"
"No wonder they're evacuating," murmured Kate under her breath.
"I heard that," Metcalf, an Air Force pilot, returned.
Kate had been watching O'Neill while they had been getting their brief, conferring with his colonels. They were talking softly, O'Neill sometimes gesticulating at the papers before him, or turning to the video on the screen to point something out. But at Daniel's last comment, and possibly hearing Kate's comment, he straightened, and said loudly, "And he's been doing an excellent job of it so far. He's due a promotion!"
Kate looked chagrinned. "To where are they evacuating?" she asked.
"They're not. We're going to go in and help them - our orders are to defend Atlantis at all costs, and that's what we're going to do."
Kate and the other officers looked at each other. "At all costs" meant just what it sounded like.
"What have you planned, Jack?" Garner asked.
"We're going to send Daedalus to their defense. They need a ZPM to operate the shields; and fortunately, we have one to send. We're also going to send additional Naquadah generators, which will help power the rest of the city and its weapons. However, it will take Daedalus three days to get there, and that could be too late unless we find a way to slow them down.
"With that in mind, we're going to open a wormhole to Atlantis, send reinforcements, and an experienced commander. Also heavier ordinance, advanced weaponry, including the rail guns we use on Prometheus, additional ammo, the generators, and other supplies. Remember, we have acquired new technology now that those on Atlantis don't know about. Right now we're hashing out ways to stop these hive ships, or at least slow them down, while they're still out in space, to give Daedalus time to get there."
"Why don't you just send the ZPM through the wormhole?" asked General Metcalf.
"Because we only have this one at full power, and it is needed to form that wormhole to Atlantis and keep it open."
"If we only have one, can we spare it to go to Atlantis? What if we need it here?"
"The Goa'uld threat has been all but eliminated. What's left of them wouldn't know that we couldn't use the Antarctic chair weapon, so they'll stay away. And we do still have Prometheus here."
"And who are you planning to send to be the commander of this expedition?"
"Me," Jack replied coldly.
Garner snorted. "Yeah, that balloon will fly."
"It better, and it makes sense - I'm best qualified. And I can use that chair weapon. Right now, Sheppard is the only one there who is capable, and if something should happen to him, there would be no one else."
"But we have personnel who have had the gene therapy now, Jack," Daniel broke into the discussion. You're not the only one here who can do it."
"I'm leading the mission, Daniel."
"Jack..."
"No time, Daniel."
"What are you thinking of to slow down these ships?" Garner interrupted.
"We need to get some ordinance out in space further. We're thinking of taking a jumper ship, and engaging them, try to draw them off."
"Being a Navy guy, how about mining the harbor, so to speak?" Garner interjected. "You could put some nukes out there, set them off when the ships approach."
Jack considered for only a moment. "I don't think that would be very effective. There's a lot of space out there. How far away would a proximity fuse work? And you have to remember how advanced these guys are. Maybe they would disregard the first one, not realizing it was a weapon - maybe we could do some damage with one - but then they will know, and just avoid or take out the rest of them."
"But I think it's worth a shot, Jack."
"And I think it's a waste of ordinance."
"Better than risking people in a ship."
"Actually, we're working on that one, too. Carter's working on programming one to run remotely," he turned and looked at the Atlantis schematics. "If only we had something we could put out there now that's maneuverable..."
"Cruise missiles?" one of the SGC officers ventured.
"No, they're not space worthy. They'd be totally ballistic."
"Sir?"
"Carter, explain it please."
Colonel Carter, who had looked surprised at her boss' response, but quickly covered, nodded her head in agreement. "General O'Neill is right. A cruise missile, even if the propulsion would work in space, maneuvers like an airplane, rudder and ailerons. It would need to be fitted with maneuvering rockets, like the space shuttle has, to change course in space."
"And we have no time to refit them," O'Neill finished. He looked straight at Garner. "How about SDI satellites?"
Kate saw Daniel nudge Sam with a questioning look. She mouthed back "star wars" to which Daniel mouthed "Oh."
"Don't know how effective they might be against Wraith shields," O'Neill continued, "but it might keep them occupied. Got any laser weapons in the attic that we could grab quickly?"
Garner shook his head. "Not to my knowledge. I believe they are either deployed, or were destroyed as a part of the disarmament treaty. That would be a good question for the Chiefs, however."
"Deployed... Daedalus could grab one and beam it here quickly enough."
"If the Joint Chiefs agreed." Garner countered.
O'Neill suddenly turned to Carter and stared. "Carter, how smart do you think these vampire guys are? They beam people up into the dart ships, right? Do you think they'd fall for, say, a crash dummy with a naquadah bomb on its back?
Carter stared back, the wheels turning, and then shook her head. "Sorry sir, but they use some kind of sensors to locate people. I don't recall any report of them beaming up say, a cow, or some other animal. I don't think they'd be fooled."
O'Neill looked disappointed. "Just a thought."
Kate interrupted, "What about..." then stopped. It seemed too harsh to suggest.
But now everybody was looking at her. "Excuse me, but I was remembering that during World War II, a dead soldier, with false intel in his pocket was left for the Germans to find..."
"What about that one, Carter?"
"I just don't know, sir," and she shook her head.
O'Neill looked around the room "Anything else?" There was no response. He glanced at his watch. "Look, whatever we're going to do, we're running out of time debating it. Atlantis needs help now. We've got supplies on the way, and as soon as they're here and ready, we're going. I have to go back to the Joint Chiefs with this plan five minutes ago, and get it approved."
"Very well. But I think the mines will work," Garner insisted.
O'Neill shrugged. "It may be all we have," he picked up his notes, and hurried into his office, Kate and the others following. Those who couldn't get into the office spilled out into the briefing room. Jack hit a button on the red phone on his desk, leaving the speaker on so the others could join with the discussion. It took him only a couple of minutes to review the basic outline with the Joint Chiefs. The first thing out of the Chairman's mouth did not surprise Kate.
"No."
"No?" asked O'Neill, a shocked expression on his face.
"Not to the plan, Jack. No, you are not going to Atlantis. Somebody else is going to command this mission. You are too valuable to risk."
"Oh, for crying out loud, sir, I have the experience and I have the gene, and can operate..."
"No, Jack. Pick one of your colonels, because you are absolutely not going."
Kate saw Daniel smirk and raise his eyebrows at O'Neill.
"Jack, this is Hammond. Don't even think about disregarding that one, son."
O'Neill flinched. Daniel smiled. He mouthed something to O'Neill. 'Payback is hell?' What did he mean by that? she wondered. O'Neill shook his head at Daniel.
"How about the satellites, sir? Can we get a few of those?"
They could hear the Joint Chiefs discuss the option as they waited.
"Sorry, Jack. With the disarmament treaty, we cannot replace anything currently out there, and those satellites are vital to Earth's defense, especially if the Goa'uld or the Wraith should come calling here. No satellites."
Kate watched as O'Neill grimaced and shook his head. She could tell what he was thinking about the direction this plan was going. The conversation continued for several minutes. In the end, O'Neill got the ZPM, the rail guns, the personnel he wanted (minus himself in command), and Admiral Garner's space mines. The call ended, O'Neill looked around the room.
"I'd like to volunteer to go, Sir," Reynolds, Kate thought, recognizing the speaker.
"Me, too." Dixon.
"Sir, I'll go." Carter.
A lump came to Kate's throat, and from his expression, O'Neill's also, as voices continued around the room, every one of his people volunteering to go defend Atlantis - a testament to the dedication of the men and women of this command, and their confidence in their leader.
O'Neill looked around the room, and cleared his throat. "Thank you, people. Now, since the Chiefs are grounding me - and no offense to you, Reynolds, Dixon -" he said, nodding to his other Colonels, "Everett, you're in charge. This looks like one for the Marines, and you have had the gene therapy, in case Sheppard needs back up. Choose your men. I want a roster in 30 minutes.
"Carter, get on that ordnance list, and make sure any modifications needed are done."
"Dixon, pull together the supply list, work with Carter, and make sure everything is ready to go through the gate with the Marines. Also, I want at least two extra medical teams on the Daedalus. Get with Dr. Brightman, and make sure they have whatever supplies they need prior to departure.
"Reynolds, you're with me. Everett, by the time you're back here, we're going to have this plan final. Move, people! I want this team ready to go in five hours," O'Neill exited through the crowd to a chorus of "Yes, sir," Reynolds and Daniel in his wake, and returned to the briefing room, the others dispersing to their assigned tasks. Kate and the other flag officers followed O'Neill. Realizing they were still there, he turned to them. "This will take a while. May I suggest you all go back to your respective offices, and perhaps return before the defense team deploys?"
Garner nodded. "Good job, Jack."
O'Neill answered with a gesture that was a cross between a nod and a shrug, and turned his attention back to the battle plans.
Five hours later, Kate found herself standing at the observation window of the briefing room, staring down at the crowd in the gate room. An amazing amount of supplies and ordinance were on mechanized carts, "FREDs," and the Marines were in gear, checking their weapons, making last minute adjustments to their webbing. She saw O'Neill in close conversation with Everett. As they spoke, O'Neill was gesturing with both hands, a letter in one hand flapping as he moved. Finally, he handed the letter to Everett, who tucked it in his vest pocket, stood back and saluted O'Neill. She observed the General looking around the room at his troops, then up toward the control room.
"Ready, Walter? Siler?"
She heard a voice answer back, "Affirmative, sir."
"Dial her up!"
O'Neill strode just a couple feet up the ramp, stopped, and turned toward the men and women assembled there. As he spoke to them, the inner circle of the Stargate began spinning, smoke coming off the edges. Suddenly it stopped, clunked into place, and someone called "Chevron one encoded." It continued to spin, halt, and spin again. Kate had never seen the Stargate actually activate, and was mesmerized, but pulled her attention back to O'Neill as he spoke.
"You all know I don't do speeches, but just a couple words. We've been up against so-called 'technologically superior' bad guys before. And where are they now? Where are the Goa'uld? Where are the Replicators?"
"Gone!" someone shouted in answer.
"You betcha. A year ago, we sent some of our people through this gate to the very place you're traveling now. They've done well, and now we're gonna make sure they stay that way!"
"Yes, sir!" shouts rang from all around. The Stargate continued spinning, more chevrons locking in place.
O'Neill looked around at the faces before him. Kate was sure he was making eye contact with every one of the Marines about to leave. "I know you will."
"Chevron eight locked!" came the call from the control room.
"Good luck. Colonel Everett, move out!" O'Neill came down off the ramp, slapping Everett on the shoulder as he passed. Behind him, the Stargate exploded forward with what looked like a blast of water, which then imploded back into the ring, seeming to stand and shimmer. Kate gasped at the sight, but noted the men below didn't even flinch.
"Yes, sir! Marines, follow me!" Everett ordered, readied his weapon, and advanced up the ramp and through the Stargate, his Marines following on either side and behind him.
O'Neill watched them go, the FRED's and supplies moving with them. He turned back toward the control room. "Siler, as soon as that worm hole shuts down, I want you to pack up that ZPM and get it off to Daedalus."
"Yes, sir. All ready on it."
Kate saw O'Neill nod and, looking sadly, she thought, turn back toward the ramp, watching the last of the Marines step through. When the wormhole snapped shut, he remained there, standing for a few moments, then left, heading back up to the control room. Kate and Admiral Garner also turned away from their vantage point at the briefing room window and descended to the control room. Garner went directly to the General, extended a hand, and told him, "Anything you need, Jack."
O'Neill shook the offered hand, and said, "Thanks, Hal. I'll call you on that."
"I'm sure you will," the Admiral smiled, turned and left.
Kate looked around the room, men and women busy in their duties. "I'll get out of your hair, too," she said nodding toward the retreating Admiral, "and I'll extend the same offer."
Jack offered her a quick smile. "I'll call you on that one, too."
"You run a first class outfit here, Jack."
His smile was proud, but somewhat sad, "I know."
Kate nodded and left.
TBC
