PART FOUR

Cheyenne Mountain.

Major Davis entered the briefing room. "Attention!" He called out and four of the five persons seated at the conference table rose. The last person, a young woman in her twenties received a look from the other woman in the room and reluctantly rose as well and a few seconds later General Hammond entered.

"At ease." He told them.

While the others sat down one of the men approached Hammond. "Colonel Nathanial Kaine." He said extending his hand.

Hammond took it. "Welcome to Cheyenne Mountain Colonel."

"Thank you Sir." As Hammond sat down at the head of the table Kaine introduced his command staff. "General this is my 2IC Major Zebenlova, next to her is Captain Reed, Sergeant Coleman and Doctor Lareen."

Hammond acknowledged them with a nod then turned to address Kaine. "I thought there was going to be six of you arriving Colonel?"

"Unfortunately Doctor Grant was detained at London HQ." Kaine said as he took the empty seat next to Hammond. "She'll be joining us in a few days."

"We're setting you up on Sub-level 20." He motioned to the officer seated directly across from Kaine. "Major Davis here is our liaison with the Pentagon if there is anything special you require Major Davis will see to it that you get it."

"Thank you Sir. We stopped at Sub-level 20 to have a look around on the way down and Doctor Lareen has already given the Major a list of things she'll be needing in her lab."

The young woman at the far end of the table spoke up. "Also General Hammond from the mission reports we were provided with by your government we understand that you've recently lost your chief medical officer." Hammond stiffened visibly at the mention of the late Doctor Fraiser. "We are not untrained in these skills and we wish…" She paused for a moment. "I wish to offer my services to you should the need arise."

He seemed to regard the young woman for a moment. "Thank you Doctor I'll take it under consideration." Hammond said to her. "I've set up a briefing at 1500 for all department heads and SG team commanders. Will that be enough time for you to get all your materials ready Colonel?"

"Yes Sir. Doctor Grant prepared everything I need to handle the briefing before we left England."

"Very good." Hammond then dismissed everyone but motioned for Colonel Kaine to remain. "A moment please Colonel." Nathan hung back. He had a feeling what was coming. "There are a couple of questions concerning your team I would like answered."

"Sir?"

"First of all Doctor Lareen's file is incomplete as it only covers the five years she's been with UNIT. I'm going to need to know more of this woman's background if I'm going to allow her free reign in my facility."

"General I understand. Undoubtedly you've already spoken to Geneva about this."

"We have and were told that Doctor Lareen is Doctor Grant's personal responsibility and any questions should be directed to her."

"Yes sir that's true. But since she cannot be here I've been authorized by Doctor Grant to answer any questions you have regarding Alyia."

Hammond glanced at Major Davis. "Who is she Colonel?"

Shortly after leaving the briefing room, Captain Reed and Sergeant Coleman headed back to Sub-level 20 to finish unpacking while Major Zebenlova and Alyia walked into the control room for their first look at the Stargate.

Looking down at the embarkation room they watched five soldiers enter and stand at the bottom of a large ramp leading up to the gate.

They both stood in silence for several seconds before Zebenlova spoke up. "It doesn't look that impressive."

Alyia sighed and before she could saying anything the technician at a computer console spoke. "Beginning dialing sequence."

They watched as the inner ring of the gate started to spin. It would stop periodically and then start spinning again after doing that six more times it stopped again.

"Chevron seven locked." The technician said after came to a halt for the final time.

Zebenlova looked on in amazement as an energy wave resembling water exploded outward from the Stargate and was almost immediately drawn back into it. The wave settled down and was now a shimmering blue/white mass filling the inside of the gate.

"SG-9 you have a go."

One of the men in the embarkation room acknowledged him and the five-man team started up the ramp and disappeared into the gate.

Alyia glanced over to her friend. "You were saying?"

"OK that was impressive." She nudged Alyia. "Come on let's find the commissary I haven't eaten all morning."

At the mention of food Alyia's stomach rumbled. She also hadn't eaten all morning, in fact, she hadn't eaten since before they left England.

She followed her friend out of the control room. "Do you think they'll have chocolate cake?"

"Are you telling me that there has been a representative of the Tok'ra living on Earth for the last five years?" Hammond asked shocked after hearing Kaine's story.

"Yes sir."

"Who else knows the truth about this young woman?"

"Just the rest of my UNIT team and General Lethbridge-Stewart."

"No one else?"

"No sir. The General thought the fewer people who knew the truth about Alyia the better. While we ourselves wish her harm we can't speak for other agencies. General you yourself know that there are some people out there who would do almost anything to learn what Alyia knows even if it means killing her." Hammond nodded in understanding as thoughts of the NID sprang instantly to his mind. "Since we didn't know that the Stargate existed and thought there was no way to get her home she was offered a place with us. She accepted and General Lethbridge-Stewart ordered that the truth about Alyia be classified."

Just then alarm claxons went off. "OFF WORLD ACTIVATION!" A voice on the PA system shouted.

General Hammond rushed to the control room followed closely behind by Major Davis and Colonel Kaine. "Kill that noise. What's going on Sergeant?"

"Unauthorized off world activation sir."

"Which team is scheduled to return next?"

"SG-1 sir but that's not for several hours."

"Close the iris."

"Yes sir." The sergeant touched a button and iris closed effectively sealing off the wormhole's exit. "Sir I'm receiving an iris code. It's SG-1."

"Open the iris."

No sooner had the iris opened then two forms emerged from the wormhole. It was Major Carter and Doctor Jackson. A few seconds later Teal'c emerged half carrying/half dragging a wounded Jaffa with him.

"Medical team to the gate room on the double." Hammond shouted into the intercom.

Finally Colonel O'Neill appeared. He was carrying the limp body of a young woman in his arms. "Close the iris!" He shouted.

The iris sealed itself and those in the gate room heard several sickening thuds before the wormhole disengaged.

The medical team rushed into the gate room with General Hammond and two others close behind him. "What happened Colonel?"

"We ran into a Jaffa patrol Sir. They were apparently chasing these two." He said carefully setting the young woman onto the guerney.

"My God!" Jack heard someone behind General Hammond exclaim.

He pushed his way past the Hammond and was staring at the young woman Jack brought back through with a shocked look on his face.

"My God it can't be." Kaine said to himself.

"Colonel? Do you know this woman?" Hammond asked.

"Yes sir. I mean…" He shook his head. "No it can't be her."

"Her who?" Jack asked. "Who the hell is she?"

Kaine gazed down at the young woman with honey-blonde hair. "It's Jo Grant."

more to come…