George Hammond twisted uncomfortably in his seat, resettling the red phone against his ear. He'd been on it for the past three hours, long enough for his skin to sweat and adhere to the smooth plastic of the handset. His argument to the Joint Chiefs that Jack O'Neill be included on the search and rescue mission had been met with staunch protest, and to be honest, it had been impossible to fault their logic. Captain O'Neill had falsified official reports, and that after disregarding the mandate of his original mission and left a citizen of the United States behind on an alien planet.
It didn't matter that Jackson had reportedly stayed behind of his own volition. That he did so was only by O'Neill's word, whose trustworthiness was negligible in the eyes of the Joint Chiefs. His men now corroborated his story, but they had done the same a year ago, and there were suspicions that O'Neill had put them up to it both then and now.
But Hammond argued that O'Neill's original mission was unlawful. Not only that, it had been inadequate. It had been wrong to approach O'Neill in the first place—none of the proper protocols had been followed after his rescue from Iraq, and tracing the path of those inconsistencies led so high up in the chain of command that no one was going to look too closely.
On top of that, the suicide mission had failed to properly account for the myriad of possibilities the first expedition might have faced on an alien planet. If the latest account of the mission was to be accepted as truth, it meant that Captain Jack O'Neill had conducted himself with honor and perseverance. He'd survived when a superior officer had been slain, and brought the majority of his team home after going to war against a far more advanced enemy.
O'Neill had invaluable experience with this particular brand of enemy, and that was what George silently told himself as he pushed again and again for the young man's inclusion. It had nothing to do with the fact that it was Sam Carter needing help, that it was Samantha "First Lady" Carter. In fact, that it was Sam Carter only counted another strike against the Captain. Their ongoing relationship was well-known now, and many doubted O'Neill's ability to remain objective.
But it was O'Neill who had won the trust and admiration of the Abydonian people, he who had led them to victory against seemingly insurmountable odds. He knew the lay of the land, and was the only remaining member of the expedition who had been inside the alien mothership, and lived to tell about it. That made him invaluable, and despite the strikes against him, it all boiled down to the cold hard truth that he was still the best source of intel they had on this new enemy.
For the better part of an hour he had plead his case—Jack O'Neill's case—to the Joint Chiefs and the President. It was like hitting his head against a brick wall. Too many only saw the evidence of O'Neill's trustworthiness. But enough of the right people came around to Hammond's way of thinking, and fortunately the recently inaugurated President was one of them.
"Thank you very much, Mr. President," George delivered crisply, effectively bringing the conversation to a close as soon as the Joint Chiefs conceded the match. "I will inform you as soon as we learn anything more." He paused, listening. He nodded. "Yes, sir."
Hammond looked up at the sound of knuckles rapping on his door. Recognizing the figure awaiting entrance, he motioned for the Major to enter. George motioned for him to sit, his attention returning to the red phone at his ear. "Yes, sir," he directed to the President. "Yes, sir, he just arrived. I'll keep the Joint Chiefs informed of any and all developments. Thank you, sir."
He hung up, and focused his attention entirely on his visitor. Major Frank Cromwell's record was nearly impeccable. It was self-recrimination that weighted the Major's features, highlighting the craggy shadows and pitted scar across one temple. Hammond could tell with one look that this man was a good one; he took on the guilt of his choices, though on paper those choices were all simply the lesser of two evils. Had Cromwell been free of that burden, the General might have been concerned, but he was not, and Hammond recognized that he was a logical choice to lead the expedition. He had history with several of the team; it was the history with one man in particular that worried Hammond the most.
"Well, Major, I don't think I need to tell you how delicate this situation is," Hammond began, fixing Cromwell with a long look. The Major adjusted the seat of his cover where it sat on his knee.
"I'm familiar with both Captain O'Neill and Doctor Carter," he said carefully. Hammond was careful to keep the wince from his features at hearing mention of Sam. Despite O'Neill's faulty report of the original mission, and the history behind his assignation to the first expedition, it was truly Samantha who put the fuse on this powder keg.
Her father, Jacob Carter, was out of the White House, but the events of the previous year had put her back in the media spotlight. Reports of her assault and battery at the hands of a mysterious assailant had graced the tabloids for months, and even now he knew she still had the occasional run-in with an overzealous paparazzo. And not only that, she still had several concerned parties in the current command structure. This time, those parties had worked in Hammond's favor and prevented her capture from being written off as a loss, but it was another added pressure, another round of ammunition against the command structure and Jack O'Neill.
"The Joint Chiefs have authorized Jack O'Neill to be included in the expedition," Hammond explained. "His prior interaction with the people of Abydos is invaluable." Two others of the original team to go through the Stargate had been assigned to the expedition as well, but by all accounts Jack O'Neill had formed the closest bonds with the people of Abydos. He had led them to victory, helped free them from the destructive whims of a tyrant; their resulting adulation may be a beneficial edge if there was more on the desert planet than some nomads and an archaeologist.
It seemed Major Cromwell agreed with the tactical merit of the decision. "I welcome his experience and input," he said without a trace of falsehood. "From the day he was assigned to my team, Captain O'Neill has served with dedication and sound judgement."
General Hammond took advantage of the Major's mention of his prior history with O'Neill to voice the question he and the Joint Chiefs needed to know. "Major, it's a matter of record that Captain O'Neill was captured by enemy forces while under your command." Cromwell's features darkened further at the reminder of his failure. "I am prepared to forgo the usual counseling sessions for the both of you, given the circumstances, but only if you can convince me that your past history will not be a liability in the field."
George Hammond wasn't born yesterday. He had no doubt that Cromwell had been selected in no small part as a deterrent to O'Neill's passionate insistence in joining the rescue efforts. The young officer hadn't let it deter him, but that did not change the fact that O'Neill had been used and forsaken by his superiors a year ago, and Hammond would not allow it to happen again. If Frank Cromwell could not similarly move beyond their history, then he would not go through the Stargate. Hammond would go through himself before he let that happen.
"Sir, I can't say I'm pleased about the circumstances in which O'Neill gained his…" The Major searched for the appropriate term, "off-world experience. I don't like that he was cleared for duty without being evaluated for PTSD. But if Captain O'Neill is anything like Ms. Carter, then I firmly believe he is the best chance for the Doctor's survival."
"Please explain yourself, Major."
"I personally delivered news of Captain O'Neill's death to Dr. Carter last year, sir." Cromwell shrugged his eyebrows as he recalled the scene in his mind. "I've seen people faint, collapse, deny it, beg for it not to be true. Some of them scream, but others can't say anything."
The General let a smile curl his lips. "Let me guess…"
"She told me to go straight to hell, yes sir. Said that if I wasn't going to help get O'Neill back, then she'd do it on her own." Frank leaned back in his seat, sighing deeply. "And she did, sir. I did my best to grease some wheels, but she was the one who located that prison. The Brits might have been the ones to extract him and Ferretti, but I have no doubt that it was Carter who gave them the coordinates. If Jack has even half that kind of dedication, sir, then he's not going to rest until he brings her home. He won't leave a single stone unturned. And when we're dealing with aliens and other planets a goddamn space travel… I think that kind of focus is exactly what we'll need the most."
Hammond considered the information. Perhaps Cromwell was right. With such bizarre, out-of-this-world circumstances, the unorthodox decision to include O'Neill might actually tip the scales in Sam's favor. But not all of Hammond's doubts could be so easily erased. There were more people involved that just Sam, more than just Jack. He was about to send a half-dozen Airmen across the galaxy, and if he put the wrong man out there with them, it could be a recipe for disaster.
"Do you think Captain O'Neill will be able to accept your command, Major?"
At this, Cromwell faltered. A moment later, he squared his shoulders, and lifted his chin. "I'd like to speak to him, sir, and find out," he said stoutly. "If he has a problem with me, I'll know it."
