The Report, part 18

SG1 walked back through the Stargate after what had to have been the dullest mission they had ever been sent on. The planet had been nice; warm tropical beaches, rainforest, no dangerous life forms, no Goa'uld, no Tok'ra, no Asgard, no nothing. It was in fact, a nice place.

But without the continuous threat of death or capture, SG1 had grown bored, and O'Neill decided to call it a day and head home.

They were surprised to see General Clark waiting at the bottom of the ramp for them, his dress uniform switched for an expensive looking suit, "Enjoy your trip?"

O'Neill shrugged, "Dull doesn't even begin to describe it; I'm worried that we're turning into action junkies."

"I know the feeling." Clark chuckled, "Anyways, you've got to come with me."

Carter looked at O'Neill, her eyebrow raised, but he just motioned for her to follow the General.

Two men dressed in suits stood guard outside the briefing room, the earpieces and Secret Service pins raising more than one raised eyebrow from SG1, especially when one of them respectfully opened the door for General Clark. Hammond was seated in his usual place at the end of the table, a third Secret Service agent, this one a woman, standing against the wall behind him. Chavez was seated on Hammond's right, his glaring eyes fixed on the chair opposite; Senator Kinsey, who looked rather uncomfortable, dabbed at his brow with a handkerchief. The end chair span round, startling SG1. O'Neill and Carter saluted automatically, Teal'c and Jonas straitening their backs.

"Please, relax: If anything, I should be saluting you." President Ryan smiled, "Please, sit down." Dazed, SG1 did as instructed, Clark sitting next to Chavez, his young prodigy barley moving, his eyes still fixed on Kinsey. Ryan arched his fingers, "I'm afraid we'll have to keep this short; I'm meant to be visiting a high school this afternoon, and the press get curious when I spend to long in military installations; Bob Holtzman is on the press team this trip, and I don't want to give him anything to dig into. I swear the man's part ferret."

He leaned forward, "Senator Kinsey has decided to step down from the Senate Appropriations Committee; he wants to spend more time with his family. I have also asked FBI Director Murray to launch an official investigation into the National Intelligence Directorate."

O'Neill's eyes moved to Kinsey; the Senator was looking increasingly uncomfortable, his eyes darting about, refusing to meet Chavez's.

The President smiled, "I have also signed a Presidential order making the SGC an independent entity within the United States military. All your ranks will be transferred over, but a new code of conduct will be drawn up." He looked out of the widow overlooking the embarkation room, "You know, I really would like to go through that someday." Carter saw the Secret Service agent's eyes go wide. Ryan laughed, "Relax Andrea; I don't mean today."

The head of the President's protection detail relaxed, but her eyes showed she was not amused.

Ryan stood, as did everyone else, "Right, well, it was nice to meet you all, but we'd better be off. Senator." Kinsey nodded, making for the door. The President looked round the table, "General, Colonel, Major, Gentlemen." The last comment was directed at Teal'c and Jonas; the former Jaffa nodding respectfully. The Secret Service agent followed POTUS from the room, closing the door behind them.

Clark pulled a folder from the pile in front him, "This is the first draft of the new Code of Conduct the President mentioned." He handed the members of SG1 a copy, before passing the original to General Hammond, "It's based on the Air Force's, but with a few alterations to take into account your unique status and role in defending this planet."

"I see the Russians are getting two new teams." O'Neill looked down the page, "What they do; find the deeds to Alaska?"

"No, Sergey Golovko asked the President personally, and seeing how far back the two of them go, he couldn't refuse." Clark laughed, "Anyway, you'll also getting two English teams."

"The Britt's?" O'Neill raised an eyebrow.

Chavez smiled, "You'd be surprised at how good they are; some of the best people at Rainbow are former SAS."

"SAS?" Jonas looked up.

"22nd Special Air Serves Regiment: elite British unit." O'Neill didn't even blink, "They mainly deal with terrorists nowadays, but they wrote the book on covert operations and behind-enemy-lines operations." Everyone looked at him, making him blush, "I spent a few weeks at Hereford back in the 80's, part of an exchange scheme. They're good, real good." From O'Neill, that was high praise indeed.

Carter raised a hand, "Sir, what dose this bit about 'regulations concerning inter command relationship's now the discretion of the SGC commander' mean?"

To Be Continued…

Who's who (It's confusing if you've not read the books):

John 'Jack' Ryan, President of the United States of America

Bob Holtzman, reporter for the Washington Post

Special Agent Andrea Price-O'Day, head of the POTUS' personal protection detail

Dan Murray, Director of the FBI

Sergey Nikolay'ch Golovko, Chairman of the SUV (formally the KGB)