804 Zero Hour
Letting go of Carter when the cop came on the scene was difficult. Distancing himself from SG-1 to become the 'man' would not only hurt him but them as well. However they, Daniel, Teal'c and Carter, had each other. He was isolated. He couldn't play favorites. There could not even be the appearance of favoritism. He was supposed to distance himself from all of his airmen.
Dr. Lee's extraterrestrial Kudzu had even invaded his dreams. Which was amazing considering what little sleep he had gotten. Feeling ineffectual in his new post, in his dreams the vines bound him hand and foot. Slowly it wrapped around his throat. He threw off the vines along with the blanket, like he threw off bad advice.
He started a letter of resignation to Hammond. But Hammond had confidence in Jack, he wanted Jack in this position. Hammond knew Jack would grow into the position just as Hammond himself had when eight years ago his life turned from a man about to retire to the commander of interplanetary teams for the defense of Earth. It was a steep learning curve for Hammond. He knew O'Neill could not only do this but excel in the position.
All things considered for Jack it had to be all uphill from here. O'Neill knew how to think on his feet, make decisions, give orders, take command, listen to vital information and absorb pertinent information. He had to trust his own instincts like in the field – this was his new field.
Jack understood command. When his people knew what they were doing he gave them free rein. When they were running helter skelter he tightened the reins and exerted clear precise directions. Screaming in their face if necessary. As general he was now one step removed from his team. Now he's the man.
He should be prepared. Through the ranks he had succeeded and had been prized as a master tactician and one who maintained the loyalty of his subordinates. He had been Hamond's 2IC where he had been groomed in strategy and familiarized with the logistics of running a base.
O'Neill had been sent to a workshop, a class to learn to be the base commander. All of the minutiae of the job, the whys and wherefore of all the memos, forms, reports, all the reams of paper that would flow across his desk, bored him. He had tuned that out. One of the requisites of him taking the job was that Hammond bequeath him Walter. No Walter – no job.
During the discussions with the other newly minted brigaders something actually caught his attention. One of the guys said "Loyalty in a subordinate is admirable, actually essential. In a leader it is a weakness."
Jack hoped he never crossed paths with that guy again, he was a fool, an arrogant fool. This was the same guy who gleefully announced "Rank has its privileges". Jack knew his privilege would be working with the best this country's military had to offer.
There was a Marine General who said a commander eats last. What he meant was that a good commander took care of his troops first. Without them the commander was nothing. Jack knew this in his bones.
"Rank does not confer privilege or power. It imposes responsibility." a quote of Peter Drucker was something Jack would live by.
The loyalty of his people, the people of the SGC, humbled him. They were strong, well trained, brave and intelligent. They, under his leadership, were Earth's first defense against a universe of unimaginable terror. He would not play games with their lives. He would not waste their blood to serve the ill conceived ideas and vanity of himself or others. He would protect his planet, his country and his people.
His loyalty to them he saw not as a weakness but his strength, his purpose for being.
O'Neill made a deal with Camulus. Camulus would get the ZPM and destroy Ba'al and in exchange SG-1 would be returned safe and sound. O'Neill snookered Camulus, who had tried to gift O'Neill with a booby trapped ZPM. Jack, who never trusted a snake, was aware Camulus was attempting to game them since he arrived on Earth. Jack returned the favor. Only SG-1 was not returned.
After her return Sam was sulking because she feared General O'Neill didn't have full confidence in her command of SG-1. After being locked in an underground bunker devoid of anything useful and then coming under attack by Ba'al's forces, she was feeling a lack of confidence herself. She was also distressed to learn he had to deal with Ba'al. Ba'al was attempting to trade the lives of SG-1 for Camulus, only the General did not know it was a bluff.
He let her know he had the utmost confidence in her, which boosted her ego and self-confidence. What he couldn't tell her he kept in his bruised heart.
Teal'c was looking forward to his first home on Earth away from the underground SGC and Daniel was helping Teal'c pack up some books. It looked like he had gathered quite a collection in the years he lived at the base.
Daniel held a copy of Virgil's Aeneid and thought of Jack - a man with a selfless sense of duty and obligation and the conflict between private desires and public responsibility. Would anyone know about the exploits of SG-1 and their leader Jack O'Neill? Would anyone write about their trials, personal courage and sacrifices? Probably not.
It seemed Jack O'Neill had passed muster and was now hosting a reception, bunting and all, for the President and other dignitaries. The CIA agent assigned to the SCG placed her hand on his sleeve.
"Congratulations General O'Neill." She said with a bright smile.
The guys came over after the reception which thankfully didn't last as long as O'Neill had feared. He did have to schmooze longer than he was comfortable with. Jack invited his old team over so he could decompress with people he liked and would treat him like a friend. Carter equivocated, she had 'something' to do, maybe she'd stop by later.
She had stayed over before, they had been friends. They had been intimate, lovers - their minds had been tampered with but it was still them. But now it was all so awkward. She was reluctant to come over. Halting in speech. Shy or was it standoffish, he wasn't sure. Had he intimidated her, done something to cause her to withdraw? Was it when he made general and commander of the base? He knew about the boyfriend but it seemed more than that. She needed to distance herself from him and he missed her, the conversations, the smiles, the warmth of their friendship. All or nothing he supposed. Never had it all and now - nothing.
After they left Jack couldn't help but think, remember.
He thought about all the team nights when she lingered to help clean up after Daniel and Teal'c left. Not a dish was ever touched although other things were, he had liked this uninhibited Carter. Now if she ever showed up not even a peck on the cheek was acceptable. He remembered the feel of her silky hair under his fingertips, her velvety skin. He wondered if a firm handshake or a salute would accompany her "Good evening, Sir".