A/N: Thank you for such wonderful comments. I had fun writing this one. Nine chapters in all and I'll try to post one a day.

Chapter 2: Hank Landry Part 1

Hank Landry had seen it all. Or at least he'd thought he'd seen it all until his old Air Force buddy, Jack O'Neill, called him up and requested a meeting. Jack had shown up on his doorstep the next day, decked out in full-on Class As, and sporting more chest candy than he'd ever seen. Definitely more than any four-star General Hank had met, despite Jack only holding two stars. That was the day Jack turned Hank's knowledge of the universe upside down. It was also the day he accepted the job of base commander of the most well-kept secret in the world.

But the job, Hank learned, came with some drawbacks. While only the best of the best ever made it into the SGC's ranks, it also meant he had to command a multitude of highly intelligent, driven individuals with quirky personalities. And after commanding them for more than a year, Hank realized that SG-1 had to be the quirkiest of them all. Of course with two Lieutenant-Colonels, two aliens, and a wayward archeologist, he should have known by now to always expect the unexpected. Unfortunately, he was about to learn this the hard way.

"Hank!" The head of Homeworld Command boomed as he waltzed into Landry's office.

"General O'Neill," Hank greeted his boss and old friend with a warm smile. "It's good to see you, Jack."

It wasn't the first time the man had stopped by. In fact, Jack seemed to swing by every chance he got, always claiming he was simply 'in the neighborhood.' He typically avoided interfering with base operations, preferring to hang out in Colonel Carter's lab, Dr. Jackson's office, or sneaking in a sparring session with Teal'c. Hank assumed Jack missed his old team and the action, finding comfort in seeing them all again. Not to mention the excuse to escape the stuffiness of Washington.

"I was in the neighborhood and thought I'd drop by," Jack shrugged and plopped down into a chair, tossing his cover onto Hank's desk.

"Checking up on me?" Hank laughed, only half serious. It was unusual for Jack to come to Hank's office, but with his old team currently off-world, he assumed the man was bored.

"Nah," Jack waved away the concern. "It's just been a while since I've seen the old team. Thought I'd make sure they're still in good hands."

"Colonel Mitchell is still doing a bang up job," Hank reported. "You did hand pick the man for the job, he reminded him for the tenth time.

"I did," Jack nodded thoughtfully. "Of course, if I'd known Mitchell was going to request Colonel Carter's return last year…" he trailed off, leaving Hank to infer the rest.

"Both Colonels Carter and Mitchell are still handling the leadership dynamic well," Hank said, thankful it was the truth. He'd half expected Colonel Carter to cause a fuss about returning to SG-1 as 2IC instead as the CO, considering she'd commanded the unit for the better part of the year. Hank was more than pleasantly surprised that the woman was pure grace under fire. If she had any issue with Mitchell's leadership, she had never let on. "They seem to lean into each other's strengths. But then you did train Colonel Carter yourself."

"Carter was my 2IC for seven years," Jack mused. "It's why I tapped her to lead SG-1 while I sat in that chair," he gestured to the high-backed leather seat Hank currently occupied. "Never underestimate what she's capable of accomplishing when given the chance."

"Duly noted," Hank nodded once. Message received. "We're still waiting for approval for Vala to be part of SG-1 officially," he added, knowing Jack wasn't sold on their new alien friend just yet. "Any idea on when it'll come through?"

Unscheduled off-world activation! Walter announced via the intercom as the base's klaxons blared. Both Generals sprang to their feet and rushed into the control room.

"Report!" Hank ordered.

"It's SG-1's IDC, sir—sirs," Walter replied, noticing General O'Neill.

"Open the iris."

"Incoming transmission, audio only," Walter announced.

"This is Mitchell," Cam's voice yelled over the firefight in the background. "We were ambushed by Ba'al's forces. Requesting immediate backup."

"What's your status?" Hank asked.

"Sam and Vala are cut off from the Stargate. We lost contact with them ten minutes ago," Cam responded, sounding worried. "It's a shit-show, sir."

"Do Colonel Carter and Vala have enough firepower to defend their position?" Hank asked, carefully weighing his options.

"Maybe. Probably," Cam answered reluctantly, after a long pause. "Requesting SGs six and nine be deployed immediately."

"Negative," Hank answered, feeling Jack go ramrod straight next to him. "Fall back. Let's regroup and go in with a game plan."

"But sir," Cam began to argue.

"Fall back, Colonel. That's an order," Hank barked. He appreciated the man's dedication to his people, but having his decision challenged in front of his boss wasn't something Hank would tolerate.

"Hank," Jack said, drawing his attention and motioning him to the side. "Walk me through your strategy."

Hank hid his shock at Jack's request. It wasn't common for a higher up to interfere with a subordinate commander's orders unless they were reckless. Hank felt that he shouldn't have to reaffirm his position as base commander but answered anyway.

"Colonel Carter has faced Ba'al's forces before and Ms. Mal Doran used to be a Goa'uld host," Hank answered, keeping his face impassive. "They both know what they're doing. Sending eight more people into a hostile situation without a rescue plan is reckless."

"We don't leave people behind," Jack countered and Hank detected a sharp undercurrent to the statement.

"And I have no intention of doing so now," Hank stood at attention. "Now unless you'd like to take over command…" he let the statement trail off as both men turned towards the gate.

"Not yet," Jack replied curtly, turning as Cam, Daniel, and Teal'c ran through the Stargate.

"Briefing room, now!" Jack barked through the intercom, drawing everyone's attention.

Hank watched as all three men reacted when they recognized Jack's voice. Cam visibly blanched, his face a mixture of worry and apprehension. Daniel let out a curse that Hank had never heard the archeologist utter before. Teal'c didn't outwardly react, except for the dark look he gave Hank through the glass separating the gate room from the command center.

A niggling of doubt darted up the back of Hank's neck as he processed their reactions. He glanced toward the briefing room just in time to see Jack rip a chair away from the table. The man was clearly pissed. But why? He knew he was following standard military protocol.

Hank then looked to Walter, the Chief Master Sergeant who seemed to know everything happening under the mountain. The normally helpful man was trying, almost painfully, to appear invisible.

"Walter," Hank said, hoping the man would take the opening.

"Not my place, sir," was Walter's only response as he focused on the terminal in front of him.

The three men of SG-1 came trudging up the stairs. By the looks on their faces, each of them obviously disagreed with Hank's command decision to fall back and regroup. But the normally vocal bunch were eerily quiet. They acted like they were marching toward a firing squad instead of a rapid debrief. He could understand Cam's hesitation since General O'Neill was there, but Daniel and Teal'c had served with Jack for the better part of a decade. He couldn't believe they were leery of the man.

What the hell was Hank missing?