... Bernard was walking with determination to a mine. The Black Stone base had become an official Stargate Program's offworld outpost, and some private companies could now explore and exploit some areas around the outpost. Military personnel were here to watch these areas alongside private security companies. That was what Rousseau and Carter were doing now, in the official Black Stone peacock blue outfit, with a chest rig and a HK416.
Rousseau spotted Carter having a coffee with a civilian guy near panels indicating the way to Black Stone complex and other facilities. The man, about her age, was speaking, she was listening passively. She had added to her uniform a scarf that wasn't part of the official dress code. Nobody would care about this detail, though.
"Captain Carter, could I talk to you?" Bernard asked out loud when he was approaching the captain.
Carter made a 45 degree turn on her left. She looked amorphous, which shocked Rousseau. The other guy seemed annoyed by this interruption and gestured to Rousseau to follow him before Carter could say or do anything. The two men stood a gew steps away from the woman. The civilian partially hid Carter with his body, to have a private chat with the French soldier.
The soldier politely insisted, to the civilian, "I need to talk to Captain Carter. It's important."
"You already had many occasions to talk to her, can't it wait a bit?"
Rousseau didn't move.
"Look, man, I'd like to finish my conversation with the captain." the civilian insisted, raising his eyebrows. "You see what I mean, don't you, Bernie? Can I call you Bernie?" the man ended with a smirk and with his right hand on Rousseau's left shoulder.
Bernard understood that the civilian was hoping for a specific outcome from his chat with Carter. It was obvious that the man didn't care about the lady's wedding ring and that he didn't notice she wasn't in a good mood. This non professional behavior irritated Rousseau. The soldier looked at the guy's hand and gave the man the most threatening "get off your hand of my shoulder and let me talk to Carter" look he was capable of.
The soldier accompanied his fierce look with a firm sentence, "No. You can't call me Bernie."
Obviously, the civilian got the message because he lost his ridiculous smile and removed his hand, scared. He turned to Carter to tell her, "Hum... Have to go. See you later, captain."
The captain was left alone with Rousseau. The member of the French special operations forces noticed a steaming cigarette between the woman's right fingers, like the civilian. Carter got rid of the cigarette in the cup of coffee that she was holding in the other hand.
She tried to find an excuse, a bit ashamed, "You smoke, too."
"Only when…" Rousseau started, but that wasn't the point. "Anyway… We need to talk, captain." he declared, concerned.
"About what?" Carter passively asked.
"About what's gonna happen if we don't do anything."
"I don't think there's something we could do." the American said and shrugged, resigned.
Carter's passivity scared Rousseau. The man tried to make her react, "Please, ma'am, don't tell me you agree with this?"
"This is not up to us anymore. We're just here to watch the area."
"So, we're gonna take possession of Lazek's people's lands and help ourselves?!" the French exclaimed, gesturing hands, in shock. "Because we're more technologically advanced than these people and because we need the mines that they will probably never use?!". Rousseau paused. Carter didn't say anything. He continued, looking at Carter in the eye, and speaking with his hands again, "That's what we're gonna do as a thank you after what they've done for us?"
Bernard sounded tremendously dismayed by the way people from Earth were handling this.
Maryanne, on the contrary, gave a neutral comment, "Lazek's people can report their concerns to the people who are here for this purpose."
Rousseau blinked a few times, speechless. His captain sounded like a person who was reciting with no passion a corporate speech learnt by heart. Bernard couldn't believe that the woman in front of him was Maryanne Carter. It was a whole another person. A woman who was passive, who cared about nothing. She was turned off. Bernard knew that Maryanne was going through tough times, but the situation was worse than what he had thought.
"Captain, do you seriously believe in what you're saying?" Rousseau started with a high pitched voice. It didn't go back to normal after. "Do you really think these guys - Rousseau pointed his left thumb in a direction, as if the guys were there - and the mercenaries they hired will just sit around a table - Rousseau drew a circle in the air with the left index - and talk?"
The captain didn't react.
The French continued, indignated, "They're gonna rob these lands, whether Lazek's people like it or not. And what happens next? We put Lazek and his fellows in a camp, or worse for those who will try to defend their lands?"
Carter shook her head, defeated, and intoned, "This is none of my business anymore, maître. I'm just here to do my job. That's all I have... since Kyle left."
Carter avoided eye contact after saying the first name. Saying it saddened her. Rousseau knew he couldn't insist on the husband topic.
The American lady looked at her watch and notified, "I have to go back to work."
Rousseau didn't try to hold her back. He let her walk away, taking the same direction that the civilian took earlier. All of a sudden, an idea popped into Rousseau's mind. He turned towards Carter, but could only see her back, and queried, "What do you plan to tell Mila and Elis when they ask you why their people can't live on their own lands?"
The question stopped Maryanne in her walk and made her instinctively put her right hand on the scarf. She remained immobile and silent, but Bernard's question somewhat hit her.
Mila and Elis had opened a door. Rousseau pushed it. "These girls trust you. What will they think when they find out their role model betrayed them?"
Carter turned around, exasperated. "I'm not a role model! I've never asked to be one. I've never asked for this either." Maryanne reacted for the first time since the beginning of the conversation, moving her arms to point out the environment. She kept speaking, "I was just an Air Force pilot and then, one day, I was thrown on a mission, to end up at the wrong place and deal with a situation that was way too big for a normal person to deal with. I am not some kind of hero. I just want a normal life, like normal people - she started to move her hands as if to insist - Wake up, go to work, go home, sleep, and wake up again."
"Oh, come on! We're part of the Stargate Program, we basically can't have a normal life!" Rousseau exlaimed, cocking his head and moving his arms up and down in exasperation.
Maryanne tilted her head and stared at Bernard, surprised by the tone of his voice. It didn't sound like him, that was strange.
The man rephrased, stoic, "We basically can't have a normal life, ma'am."
The French looked the American in the eye. Then, he said, "Maybe you've never asked for this, but you've become a role model for these girls. That's a fact. There's nothing you can do to change it."
A weird silence filled the environment for a moment. Bernard could tell by Maryanne's look that she was struggling inside, or at least starting to think about the situation. Suddenly, both turned their head towards the same direction because they heard someone coming. It was a young man, a civilian who looked like a nerd coming from a start-up.
"Uh, sorry, didn't mean to interrupt." the young civilian apologized, embarrassed.
Carter became rigid and explained, "No problem. We're done. What's up?"
The civilian looked back and forth between Carter and Rousseau, and felt that something was wrong between the two military guys. But Carter seemed okay, so, the civilian informed her, "The guys need a pilot, they'd like to do a recon."
Maryanne looked at the French. "I really have to go back to work, Rousseau." she told him. Her tone was less sharp, like she was sorry about the way the discussion turned out.
Carter left with the young man, leaving an upset Rousseau behind her. The French soldier didn't move and looked at Carter going away...
... Three years later, a nearly crying Maryanne didn't care to show her emotions. She glanced at Bernard and Akira. She was going to die right here, accomplishing her mission until the end, with her team, her friends. They had helped her be a better officer, a better team leader, and a better human being.
They started this together. They would end this together.
Except Enedan and young Philip. Maryanne thought about them. She hoped they would continue the battle and live many more adventures. And Philip wouldn't go through what old Philip had gone through.
Maryanne felt her strength leaving her. Her eyes could barely resist. Bernard felt that she was losing the battle before them. He came beside her and placed his left arm around her shoulders, so she could lay her head on him. A tear rolled down on his face.
Then, Bernard looked at the detonator, enraged. At least, he would wipe out the people who hurt his friend.
He spoke into his mic, "Enedan, lieutenant, are you gone?"