Captain Sarah Connolly sat silently in a chair in Jack O'Neill's office, she twisted about now and then to watch the General talking with that little weasel of a man Woolsey. "Christ." She thought. "What does that bilge rat want?" Letting her mind drift, she recalled all the events, leading up to this moment, wondering if either her or Dmitri had done anything wrong, or made an unprofessional call. "No dammit, we did all we could." She waited until Woolsey left, and stood and saluted when Jack entered the room. He returned the salute in his casual manner and closed the door. Jack spoke into the intercom.

"Walter I don't want to be disturbed, unless the world's gonna end okay!" Chief Harriman replied affirmative.

"At ease Sarah, and sit down please." Jack indicated the chair in front of his desk. He then sat himself down.

"Thank-you sir."

"Ah cut the sir crap Connolly, the room's not bugged."

"Er yes sir...Jack. May I ask what Woolsey was after?"

"The usual. Someone to point fingers at, someone to take the fall. Actually Woolsey's turned out an alright guy. He's pretty much covered for us a number of times now at the IOA. No Sarah, you don't have to worry, or Colonel Suschenko either for that matter. Besides the report is not done yet, that's why you're here. So let's get started okay."

Sarah related to O'Neill everything that occurred from the time the Victory recovered the SG team up until the minute she walked into Jack's office. She left nothing out. The interview she had with Lt. Dreznov, and another she had with Captain Henderson after the young woman regained consciousness. She read out Dmitri's report of the events on the Dreadnaught verbatim and handed over those of Colonels Carter and Mitchell. Jack scanned through them quickly, then leaned back in his leather chair. He looked at Connolly squarely and finally spoke.

"I'm hungry Sarah, you feel like lunch?"

Sarah looked at him as if he had two heads and then conceded to Jack's suggestion. "Yes of course Jack. Are we going 'Dutch' or what?" They both laughed at that and for the first time in three days she felt at ease. As they left the office, Jack paused for a moment then asked her.

"How long is the Dread going to out of action, and I'm buying?"

"Two to three weeks tops they tell me. Then the Pentagon has given me another two weeks to get my new 307's and their crews up to speed. Oh and apparently the Dread's getting the first of the 'E' models."

"You don't sound happy about that." He replied as they headed for the stairs that would take them to the mess.

"No not really Jack. I hate having to be the first to do something that might be considered...ah..groundbreaking I suppose you would say."

"Bullshit Sarah. I know your file backwards. First female Navy jet jock to launch and recover on a carrier in a F14, first woman pilot of any service in the US to go into combat. And let's not forget the first woman captain of a carrier; not to mention our own BC-310's. That's quite a lot of firsts girl!"

"It was a LPH, Jack."

"A what?"

"The 'carrier' was a LPH, a helo landing ship full of smelly marines, with a handful of Harrier's."

"To me, it's the same thing...a carrier. Anyway that's not what I wanted to talk about. I want you to take two weeks leave, before you rejoin your ship. How do you feel about fly fishing?"

"I've done it a couple of times. My father was mad keen on it. Why?"

"You're going to New Zealand for your leave Sarah. While you're there you can explain to Hank Landry why he has to cut his vacation, as I have to go back to Washington. You can keep Master Bra'tac company and bring him back with you when you return in two weeks."

"So the lunch is a bribe Jack...mmm."

"Of course it is. And the Air Force is paying anyway." They both chuckled. "Oh and one more thing Connolly, what do you think of our new fleet commander?"

"William MacGregor. He's a good man Jack. I've worked with him a few times. Once when he was the Australian Defence Representative at the Pentagon, and on several Rimpac exercises . I could not think of a better choice, from any nations service. Will is an excellent officer Jack, though a little hot headed and is completely dismissal of authority at times; a bit like someone else I know." She winked wickedly at him.

Will sat on the edge of the bed in the cabin provided for both he and Anne, he had changed from his best whites into one of the green standard issue flight suits, and fiddled with the two stars now embroidered onto the collar. The steward assigned to the MacGregor's was most insistent that she do it herself, it was her job and he would be pleased. She insisted on that as well. He stared out at the view beyond the window, he could just make out the Ori Mother ship, hovering above the moon's surface; Sam and SG1 were there in a Tornado, scanning the vessel and would return shortly. That close to the ship, it was somehow screwing with communication. A soft knock on the door startled him.

"Yes come in." He almost whispered.

Petty Officer Miki Yakuno slipped into the Admiral's cabin when her knock was answered; she stood silently behind Mac, waiting on her commanding officer. He stood slowly and turned toward her.

"Ah Miki, what can I do for you?" He enquired.

Yakuno was a little taken aback by being addressed by her first name from an officer, more so by the Admiral. Yet she had noticed that kind of easygoing nature in Australian officers before. She wasn't so sure if it was a good or bad thing. It's not how Japanese officers would relate to an NCO, no matter how well they knew them. "Ah sir, Colonel Suschenko would like you to come to the bridge sir. He tried using the coms sir, but apparently you might not have heard him calling.

Mac in fact did hear the coms. It was in another part of his mind. At the time he was far away, trying to somehow reach out to his son. The thought occurred to him, that being out here in the void of space, Ben might hear his voice.

"Stupid SOB." He berated himself. "Right, coming straight away. Oh and Miki, would you take these to Dr. MacGregor, she'll probably be needing them." He handed the steward a pair of tortoise shell framed glasses.

"Yes sir." And off she scampered to toward the medbay. When she arrived Anne was scrubbing up for an operation. A tech had slipped in the hangar bay and broken his ankle, badly. The bone was protruding through the skin. Miki stood back at the doorway and made a small clearing sound in her throat. "Ahem, Ma'am."

Anne turned away from the prep sink. "Oh Miki, is there something I can do for you?"

"Ah um no, Ma'am. The Admiral asked me to bring you these." She handed over the spectacles. The young woman paused before she left. "Excuse me Ma'am, may I ask you something?"

Anne looks over her shoulder at the patient about to be anethesetised by her assistant doctor. "Yes of course, but it'll have to be quick." She says kindly and inclines her head toward the operating table.

"I was not sure Ma'am. To um, well address you as Captain or Doctor, seeing as you're both."

Anne speaks down low. "Well dear, either one is correct. But when no one is around, you will call me Anne, are we clear." Doctor MacGregor gives the woman her broadest white smile.

Miki wasn't quite sure if this was better or worse than her situation with the Doctor's husband. But she took it with her usual good grace. "Yes Ma'am. We're clear."

When the steward left, Anne walked slowly back toward her patient and Dr. Pramaswan. Something just occurred to her. "How does he do that."? She was of course looking at the glasses in her hand. She had completely forgotten about them herself, though she didn't always need them. Anne just felt more comfortable with them when doing surgery. But it was Will she was thinking about now. So many times she remembers him taking action on one thing or another, well before anyone else thought to do so, she made a mental note to look into it.