AN: - Thank you for all the review and I hope you all like this chapter although not sure if it's completely right in my own mind. I have also again split the chapter as I do not want them to be to long. Well hopefully will be posting again in a couple of days fingers crossed.
I have been told by a reviewer that I should have put a character death warning in, but sorry that would ruin the effect of death scenes and also that this story should be in the tragedy group, but again I do not think so as it's not a tragedy more a celebration of Jack O'Neill, SG1 and the SGC.
24 hours later.
Hammond tiredly put down the red phone after finishing a final conversation with the President and Joint Chiefs. Looking towards the briefing room, he watched the tense figures of SG1 and Dr Fraiser waiting at the table for him. Sighing Hammond stood and moved towards the tight knit group and before anyone could pose any questions Hammond spoke.
"Jack will receive a full military funeral, and his body will not be desecrated by anyone."
"So Kinsey failed in his attempt to get the President to allow the NID access to Jack's body." Janet asked overwhelmed with relief but needing to hear the news again.
"Yes Kinsey failed, Jack will be allowed to rest in peace." Hammond vehemently spoke.
"When is the funeral and memorial service going to be?" Daniel quietly asked, not raising his bowed head.
"Tomorrow at noon is the funeral and the memorial service here will be at 1700 the following day." Hammond told the assembled group.
"The Colonel saved us all, sir." Sam spoke for the first time, her voice weary with sorrow.
"Indeed, he was a true warrior and made the ultimate sacrifice." Teal'c solemnly added.
Daniel suddenly raised his head and turn blood shot eyes toward the man sitting quietly at the end of the briefing table.
"So McMasters where were you during the fighting then?" Daniel growled. "Hiding where you?"
"No dammit I was knocked out by a Jaffa and only woke after the battle was over." McMasters snarled back.
"Likely story, while we where fighting and dying. You where hiding." Daniel stood yelling.
Before McMasters could respond and while Teal'c had reached out a hand to grip Daniel Jackson's arm. General Hammond quietly ordered.
"That's enough Dr Jackson. Now is not the time."
Daniel slumped dejectedly back into his chair, Teal'c still gripped his arm. Everyone now stared at McMasters, as they considered what Daniel had hinted at. McMasters tried not to squirm under the intense scrutiny of those gathered before him.
"Let's just get thru the next 48 hours people." Hammond finally spoke again. "You're dismissed."
"Yes sir." McMasters could not leave quickly enough.
"Daniel." Hammond quietly called out to the slumped man.
"Yes General." Daniel murmured.
"Please stay, I would like to speak to you." Hammond told him. "Come into my office."
Hammond rose and went into his office not checking to see if Daniel was following him. Daniel looked to Sam who had made not effort to move from her chair, Janet and Teal'c moved closer to the quiet woman.
"MajorCarter." Teal'c gently touched Sam shoulder, feeling the quiet choked sobs shaking her frame.
"Oh Sam." Janet infolded the sobbing woman in her arms.
"General Hammond is waiting for you my friend." Teal'c reminded Daniel.
Daniel reluctantly made pulled his gaze from the distraught women and nodded at Teal'c indicating that he had heard his reminder, slowly Daniel made his way to Hammond's office. Hammond meanwhile had been gathering his thoughts as he new he had to deal with Dr Jackson's accusations regarding Colonel McMasters whereabouts during the fighting.
"Take a seat Dr Jackson." Hammond indicated the chair opposite him.
"General Hammond I apologise for my earlier out burst." Daniel was hugging himself in a manner that the General had not witnessed for a long time.
"It's alright Daniel you have just lost your closest friend." Hammond simply stated.
Bloodshot weary eyes rose to make contact with the leader of the SGC. Hammond move to sit on the desk in front of Daniel. Staring in the deep blue hurtful gaze Hammond took a steadying breath and told him.
"If McMasters neglected his duty and responsibility to this command then I will find out." Hammond gripped Daniel's shoulder. "But let me deal with him. You need to be there for the rest of your team, they need you Dr Jackson now more than ever."
"Yes General." Daniel seemed to gain strength from General Hammonds words.
"Go to your friend's son." Hammond instructed, indicating the door with a nod of his bald head.
Once Daniel had left, Hammond picked up the phone and rang Colonel McMasters office, ordering the officer to report to him in two hours time. During that time Hammond read thru McMasters brief report and then called in his trusted Sergeant Harriman and ordered.
"Walter, find out who else was in that sector please during the Goauld incursion."
"Yes sir." Walter replied.
"And Walter bring their reports to me."
Walter hurried to comply with Hammond's orders. McMasters meanwhile had gone to the canteen, after getting his food he began to notice the looks and stares he was receiving. Heading over to a table where he had spotted Colonel Reynolds and a couple of other leaders of various SG teams, he sat down. Silence greeted him as he bit into his tuna sandwich.
"What?" McMasters questioned.
"I've lost my appetite." Reynolds grunted and began clearing his food.
"Yeah me too." The leader of SG5 also began clearing away.
Soon McMasters was alone at the table, looking around he noticed that people where whispering to each other and sometimes staring at him.
"Coward." A voice muttered loud enough for him to hear.
"Who said that?" McMasters shouted looking around him, but only seeing the contempt and distaste on the faces of those around him.
McMasters realised that no one was going to answer him so he rose and stormed out of the canteen.
"This is all that Jackson's fault." He snarled to himself. "Calling me a coward me."
McMasters stopped suddenly and looked around to see if he was alone.
"I was knocked out I was." He whimpered. "Their lying lying I'm no coward."
As he remembered the terror of the Jaffa attack and the smell of the burns from staff weapons, the cries of the wounded and dying around him. Rushing into the nearest men's restroom, McMasters vomited till he felt like it was never going to end and he was going to pass out. Afterwards feeling calmer, McMasters returned to his office to prepare for his meeting with General Hammond, sure in the knowledge that the General would believe him an Air Force Colonel over some jumped up know it all geek.
Hammond put down the report he had been reading and shook his head in disbelief, McMasters report did not match those of the other SGC personnel that where in the area where he was supposedly knocked out. Hammond called out to Sergeant Harriman.
"Walter. Ask Sergeant Williams to come to my office, I want to speak with her about her report."
"Yes sir." Walter answered.
A few minutes later the tall red headed marine knocked on the Generals office door. Entering the door closed softly behind her.
"Sergeant did you see Colonel McMasters at all during the goauld incursion." Hammond asked.
"Yes sir but only at the beginning when the alarms first went off, he was going away from me." Williams thought thru her next comments. "Then we where attacked by the Jaffa and I took a hit and…"
"Yes Sergeant go on." Hammond encouraged.
"Before I died." Williams took a deep breath. "I think I saw the Colonel hiding in a corner sir, whimpering."
Hammond nodded at this.
"Sergeant. Thank you for telling me this. You are dismissed. And well done Marine." Hammond sank deeper into his chair.
Hammond paced his office, trying to decide what to do about the information he had gathered regarding McMasters, he knew that the man was a liability and would have to be removed from the SGC as there was no way he could be trusted as a leader while he was supposedly guilty of cowardice in the face of the enemy. What Hammond did not understand was that McMasters had been in combat before and perform well, he had to have perform well otherwise he would not have gotten into the Stargate program, never mind been recommended to command the renowned premiere team SG1.
Hammond looked at his watch and took his seat in preparation for the arrival of McMasters. A knock on his door, Hammond paused before barking out.
"Come in."
The man marched in a saluted crisply and in a text book manner.
"Sir. Colonel McMasters reporting as order Sir."
