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The Ninth Chevron – Chapter 8

Stargate Command, August 2006

Sam stood just inside the control room waiting for Cam and General Landry to arrive for their UAV sweep of the planet Vala recognised from the list Ba'al gave them. She was learning to like Vala, she really was, it made such a difference having a woman on the team and ever since Janet died... She bowed her head again remembering her lost friend. Seeing the alternate reality version of her that had come to the SGC after the wormhole funnel incident had been equal parts pain and joy. She missed her friend. She didn't often allow herself to wallow in such emotions. Vala was becoming a friend, but from a tactical stand point the woman still had a lot to learn about working in a team. She was still the loner, out for herself. Sam sighed, maybe with Cam's help she could get through to Vala. She heard movement out in the corridor and the voices of Landry and Cameron as they approached. It seemed they were discussing Vala too from what she could get of the conversation.

"-to me, he's the only one she ever listens to." Landry must have been talking about Daniel. He was the only one who Vala ever paid any attention to.

"Yeah…some of the time." Cam confirmed her impressions.

"You don't think you can control her?" Landry's question was dangerous. They needed to go on this mission if they were to make any headway with Ba'al's story. Be careful how you respond Cam.

"Oh, I know I can't control her." he said bluntly and Sam held a hand to her forehead. What was he thinking? "But that's pretty much par for the course. Sir…Carter and I are the same rank. Teal'c's an alien. Jackson's a civilian. I learned a long time ago, I don't 'control' anything." She blinked when she heard his words. Is this how he'd been feeling all this time?

"Who does?" Landry quipped. She should have realised Cam would be able to get away with admitting something like that to his commanding officer. She sighed and the two men entered the control room from the 'gate room access corridor. She smiled nervously as they came in and Cam smiled back, they both walked past her to stand behind Walter but she was frozen.

Once they were busy she held a hand to her mouth as her mind raced. As far as she was concerned Cam had accomplished the impossible. He'd taken an SG-1 which had literally scattered to the four winds and one by one brought them back together through a combination of determination, perseverance, and a healthy dose of guile, with conniving, trickery and cajoling thrown in the mix for good measure. She never thought anyone could have brought her back to the SGC, it wasn't long after she did come back that she realised he was the only one that could have done it.

Had she left him in the lurch when it came to the actual team, though? She realised now that he never gave her any direct orders unless they were under fire, and he often deferred to her judgement on more than just scientific matters. She gasped slightly and her eyes went wide when she realised something else. When he did lay out a plan for the team he always did one other thing she'd always found odd. He'd look away for a moment. He tried to make it look as if he was scanning the horizon or checking his weapon, but she realised that moment was always when Daniel or Teal'c or both would look her way. She had both hands covering her mouth now. He knew! He'd known they would! Had he felt undermined this whole time? She'd never spoken to him about any of this. She'd led the team for a year before he joined, but she had put that behind her. She was happy not being the team's 'leader' anymore, she was happy to follow him even if he was a newbie at the SGC, she always had been when they flew in the same squadron before she went to work at the Pentagon on the reopened Stargate project, she knew what kind of man he was, what kind of leader he was, but Daniel and Teal'c didn't. Had they been looking to her as the de facto head of SG-1 when he was meant to be the de jure leader? She shook her head slowly. And he'd still managed to keep them together for over a year in spite of all that. She screwed her eyes shut for several moments before moving to stand beside Cam. He glanced her way and gave her a smile. She had to support him better than she had been up until now. She realised it would start with Vala.


Stargate Command, June 2008

Sam stepped through the Stargate to find SG-1 at the bottom of the ramp, standing aside as several airmen pushed the cases holding her things out through the doors towards her lab, she smoothed the Atlantis jumpsuit she was wearing and smiled at all of them, it faltered slightly as she noticed that someone was missing. She had little time to take in more however, before Vala wrapped her arms around Sam's neck and hugged her violently.

"I missed you so much, Samantha! You have no idea how much testosterone I've had to wade through in the last year!" whined the former thief against her shoulder. Sam smiled and hugged the woman whose friendship she hadn't realised how much she would actually miss until she'd left.

"I think I do, Vala, remember I was on a team with General O'Neill, Teal'c and Daniel for seven years, by myself." She pulled back slightly and nearly laughed out loud at Vala's mock-horrified look.

"You poor thing!" She pulled Sam's head down to her shoulder. "Oh, come here and let me hold you to my womanly bosom!" Sam did laugh that time.

"That's enough, Vala!" Daniel interrupted pulling the raven haired woman away. "Let the rest of us get our turn." He smiled at Sam and pulled her into a tight hug of his own. She grinned. "Welcome back home, Sam." He pulled back to allow Teal'c in for his own embrace.

"Indeed, Colonel Carter, it is very good to see you once again." His deep voice rumbled in his chest as he held her by her shoulders.

"Thank you, guys. It's good to see all of you again," she looked around the 'gate room, "but where's Cam?" They all turned to look towards where Landry's office would be.

"He would've been here, but he's in Landry's office trying to point out to the IOA rep that he can't reassign you to Area 51 without your consent." Daniel replied.

"What?" she cried, walking quickly down the ramp and around to the control room. She spared Walter a smile and a greeting and a touch on the shoulder before taking the steps to the briefing room two at a time. That's when she heard his voice, a voice she hadn't heard in person for many months. Just through the odd communique with the SGC. She wasn't quite prepared for the effect it had on her and she stopped at the top of the stairs, colour rising to her cheeks. That's when she heard what he was saying.

"You can't be serious! She hasn't even returned yet and she definitely hasn't decided she wants to go to Area 51. You can't pack her off to Nevada on a whim!" He sounded furious, leaning over James Coolidge as the other man sat by Landry's desk. The General himself was looking on without comment although his expression when he regarded the IOA rep was definitely unfriendly. He spotted her through the glass divider between his office and the briefing room and shook his head at her imperceptibly. She nodded and the rest of the team behind her also stood where they were.

"It is hardly a whim, Colonel Mitchell. Colonel Carter is considered to be the foremost scientific asset available to the Air Force. Her talents are infinitely better suited to take charge of R&D at Area 51. A position she actually accepted not three years ago I might add." His condescending tone made her cringe. Almost as much as remembering that she had in fact accepted that position three years ago. It wasn't something she wanted now though.

"That was three years ago, and it was still her choice then, and it's beside the point anyway!" dismissed Cameron. "Carter's tactical expertise is just as valuable as her scientific abilities. In fact it's that combination which makes her a nigh-on perfect SG team member." She felt the colour in her cheeks again. "SG-1 is where she belongs, also where she told me not last week she expected to be assigned!" She remembered that, the smile on his face when she'd said that had her grinning all day long. "And anyway, where does the IOA get the authority to decide where Air Force personnel are assigned? Especially people like Carter who've earned the right to choose their posting in the past?" He crossed his arms across his chest as he stared down at Coolidge's distressed features. "General? Since when does the IOA get to countermand an Air Force officer's choice and the decisions of her chain-of-command?"

"They don't, Mitchell, which is what I tried telling Mr. Coolidge an hour ago, before he had you called in to 'inform you of the IOA's decision' regarding Carter's posting." Landry allowed his contempt to show clearly and Sam's own features twisted in disgust. Not only had 'exhaustive review of her command' turned into outright removal before she'd even stepped through the Stargate to Earth, now they were trying to decide where she would go and what she would do in her Air Force career? She couldn't take any more of this and she strode forward into Landry's office.

"And even if they'd offered me the post I would have turned them down." she declared acerbically, facing the IOA rep. "I made my posting request weeks ago when the IOA informed me I was no longer required on Atlantis. I chose SG-1. General Landry accepted my request." Cam had spun around at hearing her voice and the look on his face had her grinning. "Hey Cam." He walked over to her and wrapped her up in his arms. She was definitely home now.

"I'm so sorry, Sam, I wanted to be there when you came through the 'gate!" he apologised without letting her go, not even the sour look on Coolidge's face could take away from the warmth she felt standing there. "Welcome home, you sight for sore eyes."

"That's okay, Cam, I heard what you were doing from the guys. Thanks for that." She smiled at him as she pulled back slightly, enjoying the feel of him running the back of his right hand against her cheek. It was bandaged for some reason. She looked at it then at him with a concerned gaze, he shrugged and smiled sheepishly to which she rolled her eyes.

"I hate to interrupt this touching reunion-" began Coolidge.

"Then don't!" cried all of SG-1 in unison except for Teal'c who glared balefully at him, much to the IOA rep's alarm. He managed to regain his composure slightly after gulping.

"The IOA feels that Colonel Carter can best serve the program at Area 51, if necessary we'll contact the President-" Again Coolidge was interrupted, this time by Landry.

"Who will just call me and ask me why a pencil-pushing bureaucrat is trying to reassign my personnel away from me!" he thundered, causing the IOA man to jump in his seat. "The IOA cannot request reassignment of Air Force personnel without going through their chain-of-command. They certainly can't demand it! This is inviolable, Mr. Coolidge."

"And I'd retire or resign first if they ever came close to succeeding!" Sam squared her shoulders facing the seated bureaucrat who was looking very nervous now. His eyes flitted between her, the other members of her team and General Landry before he coughed into his hand and stood up, awkwardly straightening his tie.

"I'll convey these circumstances to the IOA board. If you'll excuse me." He tried to thread his way through the crowd in the office towards the door leading to the rest of sub-level 27. No one moved for him and he was forced to give up and go out the briefing room door.

"Sorry about that, Colonel. This is not how you should have returned from Atlantis. Great job by the way. The President and the Air Force Chief of Staff asked me to convey to you their regards on a job well done." Landry's emphasis was telling.

"Thank you, sir." She smiled at him.

"Welcome home, Colonel." he said gruffly, with a smile.


The White House, August 2009 (alternate timeline)

Two weeks! They'd been two weeks away from testing their communicator. This was so infuriating! And worst of all it meant their chances of success were drastically reduced because now the only hope they had was the Navy's Stargate Program. He felt like throwing up. Even that chance was damn slim since they were essentially out of time. The only thing in their favour, their single advantage, was that Ba'al didn't know SG-1 was here. If he ever saw the bastard he was going to shoot him in the head!

Most of this passed through his mind as he flew through the sky over Washington D.C. in a forest green and white Sikorsky VH-60 Whitehawk flown by the Marine Corps HMX-1 helicopter squadron. Basically it would be called Marine One if it weren't currently busing his ass from Andrews AFB to the White House. The Marines aboard were everything expected of the detachment charged with the safety and transportation of the President, the Vice-President or their families, or any combination of dignitaries foreign or domestic. Professional, highly trained and unfailingly polite. Though he imagined they were wondering why they'd been ordered to bring a scruffy-looking civvie in blue jeans, white shirt and a green jacket to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Cam himself would have felt honoured if the situation wasn't the greatest SNAFU in the history of SNAFUs.

The special variant chopper landed lightly on the White House lawn and he hopped down amidst an escort of Marines in full dress uniform, he turned and gave a salute to the crew, who may have been vaguely insulted at the civvie saluting them, and followed the escort inside. As soon as he walked into the building a dark suited staffer attached himself to Cam like a limpet, Cam promptly ignored him, making non-committal noises to anything the man said as his eyes scanned the rooms and corridors he passed through, looking for two faces. He was ushered into a room with large florid murals and Sam immediately stood up from the sofa and rushed over to him, he wrapped her in his arms and crushed her to him, pressing his face into her neck. She looked so good in those jeans.

"You okay, Sam?" he breathed as the staffer walked around him and politely gave the two some space. He pushed Sam back a step and looked into her face, seeing only relief at being with him and also fury and frustration at the reason for it. She nodded, her blue eyes fiery. "Yeah, me too." He could see the question in her eyes, wondering why he was so late. "Can you believe Ba'al happened to pick the day I chose to visit the old family homestead to make his appearance?" At her instant frown he chuckled. "Don't worry, I cleared it, it's not as if anyone knows me there, I just... I needed to see it you know?" Her eyes softened and she hugged him again.

"We were getting worried, Mitchell." came Daniel's voice from the couch and Sam pulled away from him to allow him to go and shake his friend's hand. "Long time no see, flyboy."

"Likewise, linguist." Cam grinned and clapped him on the shoulder. Just then another door into the room opened and a stocky man in his late fifties entered the room, dressed in a very finely tailored suit and impeccably shined shoes, he strode over to 'SG-1, as was' with a small coterie of hangers-on behind him. Cam half-turned to look at the man and Sam came to stand beside him, a grim look on her face and her arms crossed over the white shirt under her leather jacket. Daniel looked on impassively from his seat.

"Mr. Mitchell, Ms. Carter, Mr. Jackson my name-" the man began introducing himself, but Cam cut him off.

"Wait up. I'm sorry, but my friends here," he indicated Sam and Daniel, "have more doctorates between them than some universities, and it really hacks me off the way their accomplishments aren't recognised by you folks." Sam glanced at him, slightly alarmed at his tone but he could see the appreciation in her eyes, Daniel looked annoyed at the whole situation. "I don't care that Sam and I lost our ranks in this whole messed up fiasco, that we were cashiered out of the service we dedicated our entire adult lives to, that the three of us were banned from not only the best job in the world but any other which had anything to do with our qualifications, or that despite being best friends we were forcibly separated from each other..." He paused theatrically. "No, wait, I do care about those things!" He glared at the man whose expression barely concealed his dismay at this outburst. "If you're gonna ask us for our help, and I know you are, then let's start with a little respect!" The man bristled, anger playing across his shoulders as the faces on everyone who had walked in with him turned white as a sheet. The man forced himself calm however, and when he started again his voice was studied politeness, though his eyes were fierce.

"You're right, I'm sorry, Mr. Mitchell, Dr. Carter, Dr. Jackson," Cam noted impassively that the man still didn't use his rank, "my name is Horace Mayhew, I'm the White House Chief of Staff. I'm here to give you a very short briefing about what to expect when you meet the President. He can be-" If he was surprised to be cut off again he admirably didn't show it.

"We've met him before, a few times. We understand he's not the same man, but this isn't our first dance, Mr. Mayhew. Where's the President?" Daniel stood up slowly.

"Dr. Jackson, I have to be certain-" He must have been beginning to wonder if he'd ever get to finish a sentence.

"Do we really have time for this, Mr. Mayhew?" Sam's voice was cold. "I do believe there is a Goa'uld invasion fleet of epic proportions in high Earth orbit, one we told you was on its way a year ago! Every second you spend telling us how to speak politely to your President is a second we aren't spending making them go away." Cam did not miss the modifier she used on the President's title. Mayhew didn't miss it either.

"Dr. Carter, it was unforeseeable-" Was the man actually trying to rationalise this? Cam snapped.

"No it wasn't! We told you this was going to happen! We told you it was only a matter of time! But you decided to stick your heads in the sand! 'They didn't come in '39 so they probably won't be coming ever.' Are you serious? Ba'al knows us, he knows what the Tau'ri are capable of!" Cam squared his shoulders as he saw the man standing before him quivering with rage, but Cam kept on going. "We told you the only way this was going to play out! But you chose a reality where Ba'al was in control of the System Lords over one where they had already been defeated, along with the Replicators and the Ori! Because wanting to fix a timeline created by our enemy is arrogant! You know," he turned to Sam with a manic look and nearly laughed out loud before turning deadly serious again and turning back to Mayhew, "I can't stress that point enough. Created. By. Our enemy! We begged you to let us help you a year ago, Mr. Mayhew, we begged you. We offered you not only our expertise but the names of the men and women who most contributed to our successes!"

"A lot of them were Air Force, Cam." Sam's voice dripped with sarcasm and Cam snapped his fingers at her as if he'd forgotten that point.

"You're right! Not Navy!" He turned back to Mayhew. "Did you even contact any of the scientists we told you about?"

"Dr. McKay?" listed Sam.

"He mispronounces his 'Z's." put in Daniel.

"Dr. Zelenka?" she offered.

"The man's a Czech, Sam." Cam replied with a dismissive wave of his hand.

"Dr. Lee?" she asked. Cam and Daniel looked at each other.

"World of Warcraft." they replied in unison. Cam moved to stand in front of Mayhew again.

"How about any of the people we mentioned that had the Ancient gene like Sheppard or Dr. Beckett? Did you even bring in proven leaders like Dr. Weir?" Cam watched the man's eyes for a moment before snorting in disgust. "Of course you didn't because they were names we gave you." Cam shook his head and glared at the man. "Where's the President?"

"Mr. Mitchell, I don't think you understand the gravity of your situation. Or who you're dealing-" The man flinched at the tone Daniel used when he spoke, it was quiet, sharp, agonised.

"Mr. Mayhew, we've looked into the faces of creatures who could read our thoughts, and kill millions with a touch, who commanded armies so vast they blotted out the stars in the sky, enslaved or devastated thousands of worlds, some, entire galaxies. We looked into the faces of these beings, Mr. Mayhew, and we ended them." He turned towards the door and Cam followed him. Sam was still looking the man's way as his pale, ashen face turned to follow her friends.

"Sorry, Mr. Mayhew, we just aren't impressed by the vast powers of the White House Chief of Staff. Especially when his boss is about to ask us to save his ass. Not to worry though," she looked over her shoulder at Cam and Daniel, "now that we've taken our frustrations-"

"Most." interjected Daniel, his lips pressed into a thin, brooding line as he narrowed his eyes at Mayhew. Sam glanced at him a moment before continuing.

"-most of our frustrations out on you," she watched Mayhew's eyes narrow slightly as his mind worked things out, "we'll be sure to be polite-"

"Mostly." Daniel interrupted again this time with his arms crossed against his chest. Sam glanced at him and tilted her head to the side once, he shrugged his shoulders.

"-mostly polite with your President." She had turned back to the Chief of Staff who looked at each of them in turn, he sighed deeply, running a hand through his grey hair. "Where's the President?" she asked. Mayhew watched them critically for a moment before turning to the staffer who had accompanied Cam into the room and gave him a nod.

"Alex, take them to the bunker." The young man bounded towards the door when he was called and ushered SG-1 to follow him, Cam paused at the threshold and looked at Mayhew for a moment.

"This place isn't safe. Ba'al knows where the White House is. And, you know, orbital weapons." He walked away.


Stargate Command, July 2010

"Won't you sit with me, Carter?" Landry's offer surprised Sam to say the least, the General didn't often come to the mess to eat, most of the time he had food brought to his office. When he did it was usually with his daughter Carolyn. She hadn't expected him to call to her when she nodded politely to him as she passed his table on her way to sit with the rest of SG-1. She quickly glanced over towards them and she saw Daniel and Cameron watching her. Cam raised an eyebrow then nodded with a shrug. He was right, Landry wanted to talk to her and he didn't want it to be formal by doing it in his office.

"Of course, sir. I'd be happy to." She smiled at him and sat down opposite him, he chuckled gruffly.

"We both know where you'd rather be sitting, Colonel." He glanced over her shoulder at the table where SG-1 was sitting and she was absolutely positive he was looking at Cam specifically. Her alarm bells were ringing and the siren in her head was wailing. She'd been holding this forkful of salad motionless for too long so she quickly took it into her mouth and chewed.

"I don't follow, sir. We're always happy to eat with you." She tried to be nonchalant as she prodded the lemon chicken on her plate, but knew she'd failed when he gave a short barking laugh.

"I may not have been aboard Odyssey when Thor explained what the Deep Core was, Carter, but I was there when Mitchell first turned it on." His voice betrayed his clear amusement and Sam's eyes widened into saucers as she froze, mouthful of chicken in mid-chew. Of course he'd be remembering that time aboard Odyssey as well. He watched over hers and Cam's growing relationship on that ship for twenty years before he passed on. She slowly finished chewing and gently lay down her fork.

"Sir?" she prodded carefully. "Are you telling me to-" She stopped as he raised a hand.

"Colonel. I know you. I know both of you. You're the most professional soldiers it has ever been my fortune to command. I know just how thoughtful, determined and loyal you both can be, I have no doubt that you would each make correct decisions in the field regardless of anything else." He smiled genuinely at her. "If it were up to Jack and I this wouldn't be an issue at all. Congress and the Joint Chiefs however, are a bunch of sticklers and meddlers who must be obeyed." She looked down and nodded slowly. "I just want to say there are always options. The Program can't do without you, Carter, and I feel SG-1 needs you, no matter what we call you or what rank or salutation we use." She glanced up at him sharply. "Something for the two of you to discuss I think. Now eat your chicken." He pointed to her plate with his fork while raising both eyebrows and smiling.

"Yes, sir." she whispered while looking over her shoulder at Cam, who was watching her intently. She tilted her head slightly and his eyes went wide and his eyebrows rose. Yeah, Daniel was right, the silent communication thing they'd developed was kinda creepy, even for her.