Sarah sat down to the control terminal with a small smile at the lieutenant whose shift she was relieving, setting the steaming cup of coffee down beside her.
It was completely against regulations to have any liquid so close to the computers, especially the computers that controlled the gate, but when you pulled the grave yard shift it was necessary, as was often joked coffee was the life blood of the SGC. But General Hammond had never said anything about coffee rings on the console, she had even seen him rubbing one away absently with a Kleenex.
She checked the duty sheet for the night and then the communications book; the duty sheet held nothing but her normal routine but the communications book held a small plain envelope with her name upon it, she opened it and read.
Lt. MaxwellPlease check with your contact on P7X 8492 as to the quarantine situation, if satisfactory then the mission will go ahead, it will also be your first off-world mission as I believe your knowledge of the society would be invaluable to SG-1.
Hammond
The note was cryptic but she knew what it meant. It had been 3 days since she had last contacted Marol and she looked forward to talking to him again.
She fired up the gate and issued the codes that told the security program that the operation was an official one, then quickly candled the klaxons and other security alerts.
As the M.A.L.P came on line she saw a face that was split by a fine tattoo that went from one side of his face to the other at eye level, breaking for his eyes and crossing over the bridge of his nose.
He was an Ebuli, one of the many infertile men that lived and worked in the Kaalinyan territories, she actually liked the title it sounded better than sterile or barren on Earth.
The Ebuli was chasing a toddler who also had the same tattoo but where it crossed his nose it rose into a peak onto his forehead, she knew this pair almost as well as she did Marol.
"Tareal causing problems again Deben?" she spoke in to the mic, trying not to laugh as the man jumped and the little boy took the opportunity to escape.
"Do you want me to get Marol, Sarah, or do you just want to aid my son in evading his bath?" he glared at the M.A.L.P.
She chuckled and asked him to get Marol. She knew about Deben and his son, he wasn't sterile by birth but had been made so. At the birth of his son he had run away from the servitude he had been kept in to the Kaylinyan territories where he found the freedom of a lord in comparison.
She drained her almost cold coffee and waited, a shadow fell over the M.A.L.P camera lens and a familiar voice came from the speake.r
"Guess who?"
The lens cleared and Marol appeared, grinning, it always seemed strange to see such a well-built man grinning Sarah mused.
"I thought you were visiting us to embarrass your men not embarrass ours." he looked past the M.A.L.P and the grin widened
He always took a chance to tease Deben, Sarah had learnt and had often witnessed the pair causing mayhem.
"Onto business, what's the status of the quarantine?" Sarah asked as she refilled her coffee from a thermos she brought with her to her shift.
"All borders are open once more" he bowed to her/
Then, Farim Marol please inform your Mistress, Kaylin An'Yala that the people of Earth will be paying you a visit in 4 days time.
He bowed deeply letting one knee rest on the floor as he did, when he rose back to standing the grin had changed to a smile as broad as the one of the woman who stood next to him.