CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN COMPLEX, COLORADO:
"Would you mind running that by me again, Agent Connelly?" General Hammond asked, turning to face the man in the dark suit standing in front of the large windows in the briefing room.
"Yeah." Jack O'Neill added, raising his eyebrows in a look of innocence when Connelly turning to glare at him.
"I do not understand either." Teal'c said in his usual unemotional tone.
Connelly frowned, and cleared his throat. Looking directly at Jack, he began to explain in a frustrated voice, as if the other people in the room did not understand the obvious. Daniel turned to Jack and rolled his eyes, and Jack had to struggle to keep a straight face.
"The NID would like to request the use of one of the SG-teams for a few days." Agent Connelly paused, and looked at the General. "We need help to retrieve a Goa'uld artefact."
Jack grinned. "Can't you find it?" he quipped.
As Connelly glared at Jack, the General gave him a look that clearly told him to shut up. Jack shrugged and leaned back in his seat, unconcerned at the rebuke.
"What exactly does this artefact do?" Daniel asked suspiciously.
"It is not what the artefact does that is important." Connelly said. "But it's inscription. There are Goa'uld symbols on it, as well as something that appears to be a gate address."
"A gate address where?" Samantha asked, her intelligent blue eyes cold, as she addressed the NID agent.
"To Abydos." Came the reply.
"I see." The General said in a tone that meant he saw more than what Agent Connelly had said. "And when do you need them?"
"Immediately." Connelly answered.
Jack raised his eyebrow. "What exactly do you want the team for?" He asked.
"The NID have traced the stolen artefact to a James Richards. He is a private collector, who specialises in Ancient Egypt. He bought the Goa'uld artefact three days ago." Agent Connelly explained. "But Richards knows this. We need a team to retrieve it for us."
"And what exactly do you mean by retrieve?" Hammond asked.
"We have arranged for two people to be invited to a charity fundraiser being held by Richards. Once you are there, you'll have to find a way to get inside his vault and steal it."
"You want us to steal it?" Daniel asked.
"Yes."
Jack frowned, and caught the General's eyes. "Sir . . . " He began.
Hammond nodded in reply. "If you'll excuse us for a minute, Agent . . . "
Connelly nodded, and left the room. There was a moment of silence before anyone spoke. "What do you make of it?" Hammond asked.
"It feels like doing the NID's dirty work, sir." Jack said.
"I agree. There's something more to this, something we're not being told." Daniel added.
"That's what I thought." Hammond agreed. "Which is why I am going to agree to Agent Connelly's request, and I would like you to be the team."
"Sir?" Samantha asked. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"
"No." Hammond replied. "And I want you to say alert. At any sign of danger, I want you out of there."
"I will be ever vigilant, General Hammond." Teal'c said.
"Agreed?" Hammond asked.
Everyone nodded. General Hammond walked to the door, and Agent Connelly re- entered the room. "Have you come to a decision, General?" he asked.
"Yes. I will agree to your request, but only for three days. I cannot afford to let you have anymore time." Hammond answered him.
"Thank-you, General."
"Very well." Hammond said. "SG-1, will be assigned to assist you and the NID in this matter."
Agent Connelly nodded. Then he turned to SG-1. "As I said, the NID has arranged for two tickets to the charity ball being held by the target. Dr. Jackson and Major Carter will attend as Daniel Trent, millionaire CEO and his wife, Tristan."
"Wait a minute!" Jack said. "Why are just Daniel and Carter going?"
"Because Daniel will be needed to identify the artefact from among the other artefacts of Richards' collection, and Major Carter is the only female member of your team." Agent Connelly explained. "Someone must be Dr. Jackson's wife."
Sam blushed slightly at this, but said nothing.
"It is logical, O'Neill." Teal'c agreed. "But what will Colonel O'Neill and I be doing while they are stealing the artefact?"
"You will both be providing backup. Teal'c will be posing as Dr. Jackson's chauffer, while Colonel O'Neill will be providing surveillance, assisted by an NID agent." Connelly told him.
Teal'c nodded in reply.
"And where will I be while I keep surveillance?" Jack asked.
"In a van parked a street away from the function." Connelly replied.
Jack raised an eyebrow, but Hammond gave him another look. "Understood. SG-1, you have a go." Hammond said.
"Why don't I get to go to the party?" Jack muttered as they rose to leave.
"Probably because you're not as pretty as me." Daniel teased as he followed.
"Well, I wish I was the backup." Sam muttered to them. "Then I wouldn't have to squeeze myself into some sort of dress."
"A dress, Carter?" Jack grinned. "Now that's something to see."
"Indeed." Teal'c added.
Daniel laughed.
"Would you mind running that by me again, Agent Connelly?" General Hammond asked, turning to face the man in the dark suit standing in front of the large windows in the briefing room.
"Yeah." Jack O'Neill added, raising his eyebrows in a look of innocence when Connelly turning to glare at him.
"I do not understand either." Teal'c said in his usual unemotional tone.
Connelly frowned, and cleared his throat. Looking directly at Jack, he began to explain in a frustrated voice, as if the other people in the room did not understand the obvious. Daniel turned to Jack and rolled his eyes, and Jack had to struggle to keep a straight face.
"The NID would like to request the use of one of the SG-teams for a few days." Agent Connelly paused, and looked at the General. "We need help to retrieve a Goa'uld artefact."
Jack grinned. "Can't you find it?" he quipped.
As Connelly glared at Jack, the General gave him a look that clearly told him to shut up. Jack shrugged and leaned back in his seat, unconcerned at the rebuke.
"What exactly does this artefact do?" Daniel asked suspiciously.
"It is not what the artefact does that is important." Connelly said. "But it's inscription. There are Goa'uld symbols on it, as well as something that appears to be a gate address."
"A gate address where?" Samantha asked, her intelligent blue eyes cold, as she addressed the NID agent.
"To Abydos." Came the reply.
"I see." The General said in a tone that meant he saw more than what Agent Connelly had said. "And when do you need them?"
"Immediately." Connelly answered.
Jack raised his eyebrow. "What exactly do you want the team for?" He asked.
"The NID have traced the stolen artefact to a James Richards. He is a private collector, who specialises in Ancient Egypt. He bought the Goa'uld artefact three days ago." Agent Connelly explained. "But Richards knows this. We need a team to retrieve it for us."
"And what exactly do you mean by retrieve?" Hammond asked.
"We have arranged for two people to be invited to a charity fundraiser being held by Richards. Once you are there, you'll have to find a way to get inside his vault and steal it."
"You want us to steal it?" Daniel asked.
"Yes."
Jack frowned, and caught the General's eyes. "Sir . . . " He began.
Hammond nodded in reply. "If you'll excuse us for a minute, Agent . . . "
Connelly nodded, and left the room. There was a moment of silence before anyone spoke. "What do you make of it?" Hammond asked.
"It feels like doing the NID's dirty work, sir." Jack said.
"I agree. There's something more to this, something we're not being told." Daniel added.
"That's what I thought." Hammond agreed. "Which is why I am going to agree to Agent Connelly's request, and I would like you to be the team."
"Sir?" Samantha asked. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"
"No." Hammond replied. "And I want you to say alert. At any sign of danger, I want you out of there."
"I will be ever vigilant, General Hammond." Teal'c said.
"Agreed?" Hammond asked.
Everyone nodded. General Hammond walked to the door, and Agent Connelly re- entered the room. "Have you come to a decision, General?" he asked.
"Yes. I will agree to your request, but only for three days. I cannot afford to let you have anymore time." Hammond answered him.
"Thank-you, General."
"Very well." Hammond said. "SG-1, will be assigned to assist you and the NID in this matter."
Agent Connelly nodded. Then he turned to SG-1. "As I said, the NID has arranged for two tickets to the charity ball being held by the target. Dr. Jackson and Major Carter will attend as Daniel Trent, millionaire CEO and his wife, Tristan."
"Wait a minute!" Jack said. "Why are just Daniel and Carter going?"
"Because Daniel will be needed to identify the artefact from among the other artefacts of Richards' collection, and Major Carter is the only female member of your team." Agent Connelly explained. "Someone must be Dr. Jackson's wife."
Sam blushed slightly at this, but said nothing.
"It is logical, O'Neill." Teal'c agreed. "But what will Colonel O'Neill and I be doing while they are stealing the artefact?"
"You will both be providing backup. Teal'c will be posing as Dr. Jackson's chauffer, while Colonel O'Neill will be providing surveillance, assisted by an NID agent." Connelly told him.
Teal'c nodded in reply.
"And where will I be while I keep surveillance?" Jack asked.
"In a van parked a street away from the function." Connelly replied.
Jack raised an eyebrow, but Hammond gave him another look. "Understood. SG-1, you have a go." Hammond said.
"Why don't I get to go to the party?" Jack muttered as they rose to leave.
"Probably because you're not as pretty as me." Daniel teased as he followed.
"Well, I wish I was the backup." Sam muttered to them. "Then I wouldn't have to squeeze myself into some sort of dress."
"A dress, Carter?" Jack grinned. "Now that's something to see."
"Indeed." Teal'c added.
Daniel laughed.