Seeking Judgment
Chapter Two
Sumner Residence
Colorado Springs, Co
Melissa parked her SUV in the driveway alongside her mother's sedan. She hadn't expected her mother to be home this early, yet she was. She was still in her car when she saw her mother standing on the front porch. She looked angry. Melissa had done only one thing today, and that was talk to the JAG at Peterson AFB.
"Mom? What's wrong?" Melissa asked her mother.
"Melissa Katherine Sumner! Get in the house, NOW!" Reiko raised her voice and pointed to the door. She hated yelling at her daughter; generally, the only time she raised her voice was when she dealt with the troops under her command, and even then it was usually under the worst of circumstances.
She had been on the Odyssey, enroute to the Midway station for an inspection tour of the defenses there, when she'd been notified of the incident with her daughter. Odyssey had stayed at the Midway station and she had gated back to Earth, arriving in time to be roasted alive by General Hank Landry.
'She yelled at me.' Melissa thought. 'She only says my full name when I've done something really, really bad.' "What did I do?" Melissa asked her mother as she walked up to the front door.
"You know damn well what you did, young lady!" Her mother said as she held the door open for her daughter. "You went to the Air Force JAG at Peterson and tried to file charges against Colonel Sheppard for the murder of your father!! What in God's name were you thinking!"
Melissa stood at the door with her arms crossed. "He did it and he needs to be punished for doing it!"
"Do you realize that I was on a mission? I had to be recalled because of you! My own daughter! Do you know that I had to promise General Landry that you would stop this insane attempt to have an innocent man prosecuted!"
"Why should I drop it?" Melissa repeated. "I have the proof that he killed him."
Reiko nodded her head and let out a sigh. She knew the full truth about the incident. A Wraith had drained her husband of his life energy. John Sheppard did exactly what she would have done; end Marshall Sumner's suffering. "Stop it! Do you realize what you're doing? Not everyone knows what I do or what your father did for his country, hell, for his planet. If you insist on this insane course of action, the Air Force will find cause to lock you up for violations of the National Security Act! Melissa, that's the same thing as treason! I've lost a husband already. I don't want to lose you too!" Reiko raised her voice again only to see tears running down her daughter's cheeks. "Consider yourself grounded!"
"You can't do that!" Melissa raised her voice.
"Yes I can, go to your room. NOW!"
"I won't." Melissa backed away from her mother, went out the door, and ran to her car and drove off.
Present
The White House
President Hayes had been rather busy of late dealing with the IOA, and their most recent in a long line of demands. They wanted to station a full time representative at the Midway station, along with a security detachment. But for the life of him, Henry Hayes couldn't figure out why they would want someone out there. He was saved from further thought on the issue, when the intercom rang and his secretary spoke.
"Mr. President."
"Yes, Heidi?"
"General Galloway is here to see you sir."
"Let him in."
"Yes sir."
General Galloway entered the oval office carrying classified files. Galloway had recently been appointed to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and was the current Chief of Staff of the Air Force.
"General Galloway, how can I help you?" President Hayes asked.
"Sir, a request from General Gordon Cresswell at the Naval JAG Office, has come to my attention."
"What about?"
"He has requested the file of one Lt. Colonel John Sheppard."
"Why would he request that file?"
"Apparently, someone wants to file murder charges against Lt. Colonel Sheppard. A Melissa Sumner, wants to file charges on behalf of her deceased father. She claims that Colonel Sheppard killed her father."
"I thought he died at the hands of a Wraith."
"A Wraith Keeper drained him of nearly all of his life force, but it was Colonel Sheppard that fired a mercy shot, killing him instantly. Hell, sir, I would have done the same in those circumstances."
"How does she know about the circumstances surrounding his death? Has security been compromised?"
"No sir, not to my knowledge."
"I'll call the Secretary of Defense. I want those charges dropped immediately, if not sooner!"
"Sir!"
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, Virginia
0800 Local
Colonel Sarah McKenzie stepped out of the elevator along with two Air Force officers and a Japanese American Marine officer. Sarah wondered for a brief moment, why two Air Force officers would be in the building. She'd never seen the Marine before, or the unit patch on her shoulder. They were looking around until Colonel McKenzie approached them.
"May I help you?" McKenzie asked.
"We're looking for General Gordon Cresswell."
"Right this way." McKenzie escorts them to Tiner. "Tiner? Is the General available?"
Tiner stood up and saluted. "Yes ma'am, but he is in a meeting."
The Marine officer ignored the Petty Officer's response and charged into the office. It caught Melissa by surprise to see her mother there, but not the General.
"Reiko, glad you could make it." General Cresswell stood and gave her a hug.
"Mom, how did you find me?" Melissa asked as she stood up and confronted her mother.
"Your Uncle Gordie emailed me that you had a meeting scheduled with him for this morning." Reiko responded to Melissa's question.
Melissa turned an angry look towards her Uncle. "You betrayed me."
"No, I didn't. But when my boss calls me and tells me to drop this case because there are matters of national security at stake, I drop the case." Cresswell said.
Outer Edge of the Milky Way
SGC Subspace Relay Station
Major Thomas Riley hit the klaxon immediately after sensors detected a Wraith hive ship as it exited hyperspace and entered a stable orbit around the planet. One could not call the people of Earth inexperienced when it came to building bases. They'd taken a page from the Alpha Site, and built this base into a mountain as well. And they'd seeded the approaches to the planet with Asgard-designed Orbital Weapons Platforms. The base itself had surface to orbit missile launchers, along side heavy caliber rail guns, and anti-air rail gun emplacements dotted the surrounding landscape.
Colonel Giles entered the command center. "Report!"
"Sir, sensors detected a Wraith Hive ship as it dropped out of hyperspace and entered into a stable orbit."
"Wraith? The life sucking aliens?"
"Yes sir, them would be the ones, sir."
"Alert the SGC, and apprise them of our situation. Arm all weapons, and prepare to return fire."
"Weapons armed sir, but we can't dial the gate. Something is preventing us from doing so. The Wraith are also jamming all subspace frequencies. Sir! The Ship is powering up weapons! We're being painted, sir!"
"Return the favor, Major. Target them with everything we've got!"
Hive Ship
The Wraith Scientist worked furiously as the ship came out of hyperspace and entered into a stable orbit. Their sensors detected life signs on the planet below, and satellites in the system.
"Have you found something useful to us? Asked the Queen.
"We are being scanned, and several satellites have locked onto our vessel."
"Can you locate the command center for those satellites?"
"Already done, my Queen. The control signals emanate from a mountain on the northern continent."
"Fire all weapons at that mountain." The Queen ordered.
In the mountain on the planet below, Major Riley noticed the spike in the ship's energies, and saw the bolts of light lance downward. He wasted no time in sending up their response. The twin heavy caliber rail guns, that could reach up into space from the surface, fired projectiles that were six inches across, and tipped with high explosives and weapons grade naquadah. Six inch shots raced upwards into the night sky, as bolts of energy rained down upon the base. For the moment, both sides appeared evenly matched.