Enedan and Philip were looking at each other, tears in the eyes, desperate.
Enedan glanced at the window to see the planet they left. Bernard's question broke her heart, she barely could press the button on the dashboard to respond.
But she had to, so, she did it and confirmed, trying to not break down, "We are, Bernard."
Enedan and Philip were going to witness a massive explosion.
They were going to witness the death of their friends.
They were going to lose a family.
They had fought many battles.
They had survived many battles.
They had found each other again when they had been separated.
This day, Enedan and Philip would go home and continue the fight without their family. They had no hope, based on the way things were going.
This team meant so much for Enedan and Philip. Rossberg had been there since the beginning, and for some reason, a memory popped into his mind at this moment...
... Six years ago, Second Lieutenant Philip Rossberg was finishing to gear up in one of the armories of a ship for a reconnaissance mission. Akira Sakai and a woman about the same age as the Japanese were gearing up nearby. All chose to wear the black tactical vest with the green camouflage dress and a cap. Sakai had a zat on his right thigh, like Rossberg. The woman had no weapon. Rossberg was starting to check a HK416 at a case when First Lieutenant Carter arrived in the room.
Rossberg, Sakai, and the other woman stared, impressed and perplex, at Carter. She had the same camouflage dress, but she looked totally different from the trio for the rest.
With her helmet, her plate carrier and its pockets full of amunitions and other stuff, her backpack for exploration, and her HK416 with the telescopic sight and the foregrip, plus the zat on her right thigh and another pocket for equipment on the left, she looked like a soldier patrolling in a war zone. Rossberg, Sakai, and the other woman looked like adventurers going on a nice walk in the woods. Unlike the trio, Carter wasn't showing enthusiasm, but concentration.
Akira asked, looking at the lady from helmet to toe, "Isn't it a bit too much, Lieutenant Carter? We're just exploring the surroundings."
"Last time we did it, we ended up fighting for our lives. Don't want to take any risk this time, Doctor Sakai."
Carter turned around because Bernard Rousseau appeared. The French was dressed exactly like Carter. The difference was in the grenade launcher attached to his HK416 in lieu of the foregrip. Philip, Akira, and the woman carrying no weapon peered at Bernard in the same way they did with the female officer. Carter looked at Rousseau as well without being surprised by his outfit.
However, Rousseau thought Carter was intrigued like the others. He justified, "I thought we'd better anticipate any hostile encounter, ma'am."
Carter turned to Sakai. "That's what I'm talking about." she said, pointing out Rousseau.
She reached the case where Rousseau was standing and grabbed two HK416 without the telescopic sight.
"You should take these, Doctor Sakai, Mrs. Ballester." Carter strongly recommended while handing out the assault rifles to the two people.
Sakai grabbed a rifle.
Ballester hesitated. She eventually confessed, embarrassed, "I don't know how to use that... In fact, I've never fired a gun before."
Like Sakai and Rousseau, Ballester wasn't American. As a matter of fact, she and Rousseau were from the same country. She had never fired a gun because she wasn't military. She was working for the IOA and got involved in the mission, on that ship. She knew the mission very well because she attended this meeting at the SGC. Meeting during which she was presented the idea to explore a planet, that seemed to have no stargate, to find a new mineral. The idea came from SG-1 and SG-3, after they found out a chest containing the mineral on another planet. There was a sort of map with the chest. It indicated that more mineral were somewhere else in the universe. Seven symbols were drawn on the map. As the SGC couldn't dial the gate, the ship was chosen instead to reach the location.
The information provided by the French lady didn't perturb Lieutenant Carter. She put the rifle back into the case, reached another one, and took a zat'nik'tel and its holster, then, made a demo to Ballester.
"It's a zat'nik'tel, aka zat. You press here to switch on the weapon, and here to fire. One shot to incapacitate your ennemy, two shots to kill. Then, when you've finished, you press again here.". Carter paused and looked at Ballester. "Got it?" she asked.
"I think I do, lieutenant." Ballester replied while Carter was giving her the zat.
Maryanne looked at her group and asked, "Any question?"
A full bird colonel in a dark blue flight suit with the Daedalus and the US flag patches on it joined the group. It was Jamieson Colby, CO of the ship and former CO of SG-1. The man was there when the project was born, at that meeting. This was how he, Sakai, Ballester, Galvez, McKinson, Wayland, and Harrigan, plus three other people, met. Some had already known each other for a while because they were part of SG-1 or SG-3. Carter, Rossberg, and Rousseau came later. As a matter of fact, Carter was indirectly linked with the Stargate Program because her husband was at that meeting, too, but he couldn't tell her the true nature of his job. What a shock when she discovered the truth, not only about her husband, but also about her aunt! Now, some of these people were on that ship, the others, on Earth.
Carter, Rossberg, and Rousseau straightened as soon as they saw the colonel.
"At ease." Colby allowed, then, smiled, "Ready for your first mission, Alpha team?"
The name bemused Carter. "Alpha, sir?" she frowned.
"Yes. Your team needs a name, and that's what came to my mind first. Black Stone Alpha team, for the longer version." Colby explained, proud of finding the name.
The Alpha team members glanced at each other. Nobody disagreed. Because they didn't have a better suggestion; or didn't dare to challenge the head of the expedition, who looked enthusiastic; or were okay with whatever the name was.
Ballester nodded. "I like it." she commented, to show some support.
"Thank you, Mrs. Ballester." the colonel said, satisfied.
Sakai suddenly looked uncomfortable. "Colonel Colby, are you sure you want me outside? I really should..."
"Ah ah!" Colby friendly interrupted, raising his right index. "Don't start, doc. We've already talked about this. I haven't changed my mind.". The colonel gazed at all Alpha members, who looked proccupied after Sakai's words. The colonel encouraged, "Look, our mission was... Is still to explore a planet and find mineral. The situation has changed a bit. We're not on the planet we're supposed to be, but it's still a planet. Therefore, let's continue the mission no matter where we are.". Colby gave a soft smile and teased, "No pressure, but try to find a mineral, or nice people, or a stargate, or all of these."
Carter replied on a more formal tone than Colby, "We'll do our best, sir."
"I'm sure about that - Colby bent his head - Good luck, Alpha."
Carter bowed her head, thanked the colonel, and exited the armory, followed by Rousseau. Ballester, Sakai, and Rossberg took their backpack (smaller than Carter's and Rousseau's) and exited the room.
Colonel Colby stayed behind, keeping a positive attitude despite the context. Alpha team didn't know that Colby felt that this team would do great things...
... And the team did. Alpha's journey didn't start very well, for sure. When you go through an extreme situation, you develop extraordinary bonds with the people who experience it with you. This was what happened to Philip, with Alpha. Because they had military background, Jamieson Colby, Maryanne Carter, and Bernard Rousseau had played a special role in Rossberg's journey with the Air Force. He had learned from each of them. He had learned from each of the military people and the civilians from Alpha team. Alpha had become a family. Alpha had helped him go beyond his own expectations. Philip hoped he wouldn't disappoint his dear fellows who wouldn't be here anymore.
Maybe Enedan and Philip would be told that their friends died as heroes. Philip wouldn't feel comfortable with that kind of speech. Nobody would like to die to be celebrated like a hero. When people leave this world, it's not because they'd like to do it for some reward. They just leave this world. They leave their family and friends. They leave huge void and sorrow in their hearts.
That was what Philip felt at this moment. Huge void and sorrow. The only thing that he could do was to hold Enedan's hand. She was crying, having the same feelings as the first lieutenant.
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Inside the dome, Bernard, relieved to hear that Enedan and Philip were out of danger, lifted the trigger guard of the C-4 remote detonator and threw the switch with his thumb.
To Be Continued...