Just two chapters today. I almost held this one for tomorrow, but we are almost to my favorite part of the story. Just a little more set up and we'll be there. For the record, I still don't own Stargate. This is just for fun.

The next few weeks were relatively normal at the SGC, Sam was pretty pleased with the progress her protective dome had made over the mountain. She'd have been even happier if it had covered a larger area than the 3 mile radius it currently provided, but Sam knew a little tweaking would add much needed space. They'd run into a few flooding issues as the ice began to melt off, but it wasn't unexpected and they dealt with it pretty swiftly thanks to the ingenuity of Captain Johnson. Ryan Johnson was a smart man, and Sam actually liked working with him. Sam was glad he'd been reassigned to her team temporarily. He was really an asset. Of course, his presence with her left a blank space on SG1, but Jack was travelling with the guys and they were doing just fine. Sam knew her husband was loving his excursions off world.

The biggest surprise they'd encountered lately was Kate and Ryan's engagement. Sam had sensed they were close, but she suspected their relationship was more like the one she had with Daniel. Jack wasn't surprised in the least. He'd looked downright proud when they made the announcement. Sam really liked Kate. The more time they spent together, the more she appreciated the woman who would one day take her place. She noticed a new confidence in the younger woman that had been sorely lacking when they first arrived and Sam had a feeling Ryan had a lot to do with the change. She really enjoyed spending time with Kate. It was funny how much she reminded her of Cassie. Sam was just thinking about how difficult it was going to be to actually leave these new friends when Jack entered her lab.

"How was your trip?"

"Oh, you know, lots of trees, local population with plenty of advanced technology and no desire to share it. Just like the good old days." Jack placed a kiss on her cheek, "how are things going here? Figured out how to get us some more space?"

"Not exactly. Johnson and I have a few ideas, but we'll need to move the device to its permanent location before we can see if they'll work. And, a ZPM would come in handy. Those aren't any easier to get their hands on today as they were when we were on the front lines. There's supposedly one in a lab in Atlantis. Kate's made our case. We just need them to agree to give it to us."

"Awe, yes, bureaucracy at it's finest. Even the end of life as we know it can't seem to kill good old red tape." Jack's tone became a bit more somber, "If you had everything you needed, could you get the whole planet, or even most of it, livable?"

"I don't think so. With more time and if we could successfully reverse engineer enough shield generators then we could certainly make some progress, but we're leaving in just over 3 months. That's no where near long enough."

"What if you had, say, thirty years, give or take?"

"I know where you're going with this and don't think I haven't thought about it, but it's a long shot, Jack. It's a really, really long shot. And, there's no way we could cover all the space we would need to avoid massive relocations. I don't think we need to play those odds. You know as well as I do that if there was even a chance we could be successful, they wouldn't start evacuations on time. And, if we failed, we'd lose so many more people. Do we have the right to take that risk?"

Jack sighed, "So, it's decided. We have to make sure this time line survives."

"I really think it's the best option," Sam put her hand in her husband's, "they've really done pretty well, don't you think?"

"Yeah," Jack agreed, "they haven't done half bad." Changing the course of the conversation, "I actually came to take you to the briefing room. We've got a visitor from Atlantis. Maybe she brought you're ZPM."

Sam smiled, "Who?"

"Alexandria, Daniel's kid. She's here and she can't wait to visit with her auntie Sam."

They both laughed and took off for the all to familiar briefing room. Alexandria, Kate, and Kyle were already engrossed in serious conversation when Sam and Jack took their seats. Kate was running her fingers through her hair as Alexandria spoke. "Toran is adamant that we remove our people at once. We have technically taken more than a few liberties with the original treaty, and he's not interested in coming back to the bargaining table."

"Toran?" Jack asked.

"Toran is the newest leader of the people on PX7-303," Alexandria began. Jack still had a puzzled look on his face.

"The Thantarians," Sam whispered to Jack, "it's about the mining colony."

"Yes," Alexandria went on, "the colony on PX7-303 were supposed to be predominantly miners and their families, but things spiraled a bit out of control toward the end. We had to get people off the planet. This wasn't the only settlement to take on more people than originally intended, but it's certainly been the biggest headache."

Jack stood up, "I knew that colony was a bad idea," looking at Sam, "at least I was right about that."

"Yes, general," Kate replied with a slight roll of the eyes, "apparently you were right, but it doesn't change the fact that we now have nearly 300 people on a planet where they aren't welcome."

Sam could see the frustration on Kate face. "What's the plan? Can they be relocated to some of the other settlements?"

"It's not exactly that easy," Alexandria looked at Sam, "There's a very delicate balance of power among the established colonies, and the people we sent out have had to work to make their new homes feel like home. The people on PX7-303 have had it harder than most and it's bonded them. They want to be relocated together. None of our groups can accommodate all of them without making adjustments they aren't prepared to make."

Jack gave a look of exasperation, "How about another planet? A nice uninhabited one?"

"If only it were that simple, Uncle Jack. Our resources are extremely stretched trying to maintain the colonies we've already established. You've seen them. The technology of the Asgards helped us build cities at an amazing rate, but even Rome wasn't built in a day. We just can't start over right now." Alexandre paused, "there's more. Our sources have indicated that Toran is preparing for war. He's been in conversations with key players in the Lucian Alliance. If we don't get our people off that planet, none of our colonies will be safe. We can't win an all out war with them, not with the rogue Asgard on their side."

"Yeah, about that," Jack protested, "I liked it better when they were on our side."

Sam gave Jack a look and shook her head, "Not the time, Jack."

"This sounds like a matter for Atlantis. Why are you really here, Alex?" Kyle asked, but his eyes weren't focused on the brunette. Instead, he was looking at his fiancé. Sam could tell Kyle was as nervous about the implications of this visit as she was and that didn't ease her anxiety in the least.

Turning her attention to Kate, Alexandria continued, "If you had the ZPM, could you make a large enough area for the miners to join the people on the surface? They want to come home."

This time it was Kate who stood up, after a few paces along the length of the briefing table, she took a deep breath, "General Carter, Captain Johnson, can you make it happen?"

The use of her rank instead of her first name gave Sam a pause. Kate was acting like ever bit the leader she was supposed to be and Sam was once again impressed. "We'd need to do a lot more than just double the current coverage, but I think it's possible."

"Then I come bearing gifts," Alexandria said with a smile that had to have come from her mother. "You've got your ZPM. Just make this work. We are running out of time."

"Johnson, I need you on the ground in Manta. Take the team and make it happen," looking at Sam apologetically, "You can consult from here, but I need you to stay put. You'll be leaving soon. It's time to hand this off."

"Of course," Sam smiled halfheartedly.

"And, Captain Johnson, if you can pull this off, I'm sure there's a promotion in your near future," Kate smiled. "Well, if there wasn't anything else, I'd say it's time to move this to the commissary. There's cake."