Sitting on a rock, keeping watch over the camp behind him, Lorne felt incredibly uneasy about the status of the mission. Somewhere on the planet, through the trees ahead of him, there was at least one Kull warrior – or Super Soldier – a myriad of injured or dead SGC personnel, Tok'ra and Jaffa and hopefully Major Samantha Carter with the only weapon that had proved successful against the Kull warriors. Thankfully, Lorne's friend Major Green, second in command of the Alpha Site was safely back on Earth having been with the evacuees that had made it to the Beta Site. SG-1 had set off in search of the weapon, but Doctor Jackson and Lieutenant Carpenter had returned not long after. Lorne had no idea what it must be like for the colonel. Not only was he in charge of the rescue operation after the Alpha site had been attacked, but his partner and mother of his child was somewhere out beyond the trees, possibly dying or already dead. Lorne could never happily place that kind of worry on a partner, it was far easier to remain single

Glancing up as someone approached, Lorne smiled at Carpenter who sat down next to him. "Hey," she said.

"Find anything?"

"Not really." They all had hope that there were still some people alive out there, but the longer it took to find them the less chance they had.

"You alright?" he asked. She had seemed unfocussed ever since she and Jackson had returned.

"Daniel thinks that SG-1's escape from Osiris and Anubis the other month was planned." She laughed wryly and his eyes flicked to her before resuming watching the treeline. "Colonel O'Neill always said it was far too easy. Daniel now agrees with him."

"Because the Zatarc went into hiding?" It was the general idea that the Zatarc that infiltrated the base somehow had managed to complete its objective resulting in all Zatarc testing to come back negative.

"And Sarah Gardner seems to think so." There was silence for a few moments before Carpenter asked, "Why did you transfer to the SGC?"

"Chance for promotion. I was told I could use my education to help the entire planet on a far grander scale than I could possibly ever imagine. Then I started to hear the rumours about what really happens in Cheyenne Mountain and I just had to know what the truth was. As soon as I then heard the words other planets and aliens, I was never going back. It's one thing to protect and serve our country, but the entire planet, more than just our planet in fact… Who could ask for better? You?"

"I never wanted to serve my country or my planet." She laughed, leaning back slightly with her eyes still firmly focussed on the tree line. "I never wanted the Air Force. I wanted to be an archaeologist, to work on digs and discover the truth about our past. Some scientists here are all about furthering humanity's future; I wanted, and still want, to learn the secrets of our history. I needed daddy's help to do that though and he was absolutely certain that I join the Air Force." She shook her head. "He hates that I went to a top secret facility and doesn't know what I do."

"Is that why you went for top secret?"

"No. After my first active tour and seeing a battle field I was determined to leave the Air Force at the earliest date possible until I heard the secret whispers about Cheyenne Mountain. Someone told me it was where my dreams could come true. You know I used to love this job – seeing the wonders of the universe and learning more about what makes us all human than anyone could even dream of digging up on Earth."

"And now?"

"Now it all just feels like a nightmare. It's not fun and exciting anymore. The wonders have all gone. I've learnt far too much about what makes someone inhuman. Death feels far too close."

He fought the urge to make a joke about the Kull warrior – laughter was his most common defence. Instead he put a hand over hers, feeling the colder skin of her hand on his palm. As quickly as he had touched his hand to hers, he withdrew his hand, coughing to distract the moment. It did not make him proud, but Lorne knew that he had an almost constant ability to attract women with an equally successful inability to maintain a steady relationship. Despite his luck with ladies, Lorne had never really had a female friend; in high school he preferred to hang out with the rest of the football team and throughout his career so far females at work had been few. If it were Lieutenant Menard sitting beside him, discussing something like the death of Ritter, Lorne would never have the option of holding his hand in comfort. "I've been here less than you, not seen half as much." His words were lost.

"I know," she nodded. "I don't know how some of these people do it. The rest of SG-1 have been doing this longer than I have, and they seem fine. They're all far stronger than me."

"Don't doubt your own strength. You're still here, aren't you?"

"Before this past year, I thought I was coping, thought I was fine. I didn't need anyone else. I could cope with anything. Then it all got too much."

"And now you have friends, people you can count on." Lorne had only just really joined Stargate Command when Carpenter had started opening up so he did not know the full extent to her distance and the quiet, self-sufficient Carpenter that had been before. What he did know was that in these kinds of situations, living on the edge of battle, the people around you became closer than family and friends, some new species of acquaintance. He already knew Menard and Colonel Edwards better than he knew his own sister.

"What if that isn't enough?" There was a rustling in the tree line and immediately both of them stood with weapons ready and aimed as slowly something emerged.

"Don't shoot," said one of the six clearly injured mix of Air Force, Jaffa and Tok'ra as Lorne and Carpenter lowered their weapons. Carpenter moved straight towards the group as Lorne looked over his shoulder and called to the rest of the base camp.

"We got injuries over here!" Only SG-11, SG-3 and a medical team consisting of Fraiser and some others had remained at the Stargate, working on it and guarding it from any incoming enemy or the Kull warrior returning. The medical team rushed over as Lorne returned his attention to the tree line, guarding the injured just in case the Kull warrior was on close behind on their six. His conversation with Carpenter would have to wait until they were all safely back on Earth.