Legal Note: Colonel O'Neill, Major Carter, Teal'c, Daniel Jackson, General
Hammond, Dr. Fraiser and other characters appearing in the series don't
belong to me. They belong to Gekko, Double Secret, etc. The story does
belong to me. This fiction has been written for then enjoyment of fans and
not for profit or compensation of any kind, nor will any be accepted. You
get the idea.
Author's Note: Please read and review. Comments and suggestions are welcome. Constructive criticism is welcome, as it will improve future writing.
Posted some minor corrections.spelling, grammar, etc.
P4X369
The Stargate shut off behind SG-1, leaving them to stand silently in a small clearing, surrounded by jungle foliage.
Tok'ra intelligence said that this unremarkable little planet was producing a truly remarkable amount of naquada. SG-1 was tasked with determining the validity of the intelligence. Aerial reconnaissance had been inconclusive.
The UAV that had been used to scout the immediate vicinity around the Stargate indicated that there was a small contingent of Jaffa and possibly a Goa'uld nearby, based on the dwellings that could be seen half a mile away. The gate itself had appeared to be completely unguarded. On a planet ruled by a Goa'uld with limited resources, this was not altogether unusual, but something about it didn't sit right with O'Neill.
He scanned the jungle, which had grown up thickly around the Stargate and was apparently only being kept back by the expansion of the event horizon and by frequent use of a path that disappeared back into the trees, presumably leading back to the dwellings the UAV had seen.
Teal'c gripped his staff and swiveled his head, silently peering into the trees. His jaw clenched and unclenched unconsciously as he continued to look around.
Major Carter noticed his reaction and immediately checked her P-90 to be sure it was ready. "Sir, something's got Teal'c spooked."
"I feel it too, Major. Something isn't right. I just can't put my finger on what."
"Shall I dial home, sir?"
"Negative. We are here for a reconnaissance mission and unless we find more than the heebie-jeebies to bother us, we're going to do just that."
"Sam, did you see the DHD? Look at the symbols on it. There's at least a half-dozen I don't recognize as being on our list. When you think about it, that gives a whole new meaning to 'You can't get there from here.'" Daniel Jackson gave a big grin that, as usual, was infectious enough to make Major Carter break out in a smile of her own.
Colonel O'Neill watched the Major's face light up as she hurried over to look at the symbols. He was always amazed at the way any new discovery seemed to bring life to her. Like a kid at Christmas, he thought. He stood, watching her for some time.
"Colonel O'Neill," came a quiet voice.
It didn't break through his focus. He watched as Carter and Daniel took turns taking pictures of the DHD with a digital camera and digital camcorder. More tech gadgets that she'd absolutely had to have and, he admitted it had proven their worth.
"Colonel O'Neill," came the voice again.
He shook his head and then responded. "Yes, Teal'c."
"I do not believe it is wise for us to remain in the clearing. We should move into the jungle to avoid any patrols that might have heard the sound of the gate activation."
"You're right, Teal'c." He focused on Carter and Daniel again. "Okay, you two. Enough of the techno-archeology whatchamacallits. Let's get ready to move out."
"Yes, sir," Carter hid a grin as she packed away her camera. O'Neill's unwillingness or inability to learn the names of things or refer to them properly had a tendency to make her laugh.
"Okay, Jack. I'm about as ready as I can be." Daniel stowed his gear and stood up, pack shouldered.
"Teal'c, take point. Daniel, you're next, then Carter. I'll watch the rear."
Teal'c moved out without a word. Daniel followed him. Carter waited a moment, looking at Colonel O'Neill. He raised an eyebrow and tilted his head slightly, waiting for her to move. A moment later, she shook her head almost imperceptibly, a bemused expression on her face, then moved to follow Daniel.
Carter waited until she was almost to the edge of the clearing and then allowed her hips a most non-military wiggle. I can't believe I just did that. But then, the Colonel's comment about watching the rear had struck her as funny and he definitely deserved to be teased for it.
O'Neill shook his head and blinked a couple of times. Did she just. nah, she must have misstepped; she wouldn't have done that on purpose. He waited just a moment longer and then followed her into the jungle.
~~~
The journey to the small group of buildings took more than half an hour. They carefully swung out away from the well-used trail and then angled back to come in from the side.
Aerial reconnaissance had suggested that it was only a small operation. From the ground, it became obvious that the video was wrong. The first indication was when Teal'c raised his right hand in a clenched fist to signal the others to stop moving, then indicated that O'Neill should come forward to see what he was seeing.
The sight astounded him. Not twenty yards ahead was a very large building that had not shown up when the UAV flew over. They had somehow managed to not notice the building until that moment. A building that size should have stuck out like a sore thumb. He glanced at Teal'c; he looked troubled.
"What are you thinking Teal'c?"
"I believe this Goa'uld possesses technology to camouflage buildings in a manner far superior to anything I've ever seen before." He paused, staring at the large building, then took a step backward. "From here, the building appears to be nothing more than jungle. It is possible that there is much more here than we originally thought. I recommend that we withdraw at once."
That was unlike Teal'c. He rarely opted to retreat. "Carter, come up here a moment."
"Yes, sir," came the instant reply. "What's going on? Whoa! Sir, there's a building there that we never noticed. The recon drone didn't show it."
"No, it didn't. That means that none of the recon data from the UAV is valid, or at the least it is all suspect until proven otherwise. Teal'c recommends we withdraw. What do you think?"
"I concur, sir." She looked around the jungle. "If they can hide a building like that, isn't it just as possible that they could hide a lot more, such as barracks for Jaffa, hangars for death gliders, or even a mothership?" Her musing was interrupted by an all too familiar sound.
"Jaffa, kree! There are intruders nearby. Find them and eliminate them." The voice came from somewhere off to their right.
"Okay, leaving is probably good. Daniel, Teal'c head for the Stargate. Carter and I will try to draw the Jaffa away and then follow. Don't dawdle. We've got no idea how many Jaffa are out here."
O'Neill grinned at Carter. There was nothing like playing hide and seek with a bunch of Jaffa who wanted to kill you.
Twenty minutes later, Teal'c radioed with a status report. "We are nearing the Stargate. I believe we have successfully evaded detection." At just that moment, Daniel Jackson sneezed loudly enough that O'Neill could hear it over the radio.
"Correction, O'Neill, we have now been detected." The sound of several staff blasts came across the channel, and then the radio went quiet as Teal'c obviously let go of the transmitter.
"Sir, we'd better move fast if we want to have a chance to help them. I'm pretty sure the group of Jaffa that was chasing us is far enough away for us to move fast without drawing too much attention."
"Alright Carter, let's move out." He moved off into the jungle, heading directly toward the Stargate. Carter followed him seconds later.
O'Neill's radio crackled a bit and then the channel came through more clearly. ".taking heavy fire O'Neill.Jaffa." The sound of several staff blasts came across the channel, as did a cry of pain. ".Jackson has been injured.to dial out.covering fire."
"Carter, we have to run if we're going to help them." He took off at a sprint.
"Yes, sir." Came the reply, as she followed as quickly as she could.
O'Neill was faster than Carter and easily outdistanced her. Moments later, he heard the sound of the Stargate activating and a large number of staff weapons firing. He located the Jaffa and began firing into them, more for confusion than for effect. The Jaffa stopped firing and took cover.
"Okay people, let's get out of here," O'Neill yelled.
Teal'c pulled Daniel to a standing position and drug him toward the gate.
"Get ready to run Carter."
O'Neill looked for her to make sure she'd heard him. She wasn't there.
"Carter, we need to go. Where are you?" O'Neill used the radio to get her attention.
"They cut me off, sir. I'm trying to work my way to." The transmission was cut off by the sound of multiple staff blasts.
"Carter? Major Carter? Carter, are you there?"
"Teal'c, get Daniel and yourself through the gate. I'll follow with Carter as soon as we can."
"Colonel O'Neill. I will remain and assist you after pushing Doctor Jackson through the gate."
"Negative Teal'c. You'll both go."
Teal'c was about to disagree further when the Jaffa resumed firing. He and Daniel were both hit and fell through the gate. Several staff blasts also went into the gate.
~~~
Cheyenne Mountain, Earth
"Unscheduled offworld activation." The disembodied voice of the computer sounded throughout the Cheyenne Mountain complex.
The team assigned to guard the gate room readied their weapons and gazed intently at the iris. The tech assigned to monitor gate activity watched her readouts to see if any transmission codes were coming through.
"Report," came General Hammond's voice from behind her.
"Sir, the gate was activated less than one minute ago. So far there has been no signal. Wait, I'm getting a transmission, sir. The code belongs to SG-1."
"I wasn't expecting them for at least a few more hours." He stared at the iris, wondering what might have prompted the early return, then continued. "Open the iris."
Nearly a minute passed before Teal'c and Doctor Jackson tumbled through the event horizon, followed by half a dozen staff blasts. Both of them were obviously wounded. One of the security personnel had also been unfortunate enough to catch a staff blast in the chest.
"Medical team report to the gate room. Medical team report to the gate room. We have wounded personnel."
General Hammond waited expectantly for Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter, but nothing came through. Seeing that, he hurried into the gate room to talk to Teal'c.
Two members of the medical team passed him with a stretcher bearing Doctor Jackson. He was unconscious. Two more were following with another stretcher bearing Teal'c. He appeared to be conscious, so General Hammond stopped them for a moment.
"Teal'c, can you hear me?"
"Yes, General Hammond," he replied. The strain in his voice was evidence of the pain he was in.
"Where are Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter?"
Teal'c struggled to rise. "I must return. They are under attack. I believe Major Carter is wounded."
"No, son, you need medical attention." The general placed a hand on the Jaffa's shoulder. "Did Colonel O'Neill say anything before you came through the gate?"
"Only that he and Major Carter would follow when they could."
"Okay. Thank you." He turned to the waiting medical staff. "Get this man to the infirmary."
The general looked up at the control room. "Close the iris."
~~~
Doctor Fraiser arrived at the infirmary twenty minutes after the iris had been closed. "General, I'm sorry I wasn't here, but they weren't expected back for hours yet."
"It's not your fault, doctor. It seems SG-1 ran into some trouble on P4X369 and had to make the transit back sooner than expected."
"Where are the Colonel and the Major?"
"They are still offworld, doctor."
"Are they okay?"
"At this point, we don't know much. Please take a look at Teal'c and Doctor Jackson, then give me an update. I have to get back to my office for a phone call that should be coming anytime now."
"Yes, sir," she said to the general's back as he left the infirmary.
Half an hour later she was at General Hammond's office. She stopped in the doorway when she saw he was still on the phone. He waved her, indicated she should close the door and then take a seat.
"Yes, sir. So do I, sir. Yes, sir. Goodbye, sir." General Hammond hung up the phone and turned his attention to Doctor Fraiser.
"Doctor, give me some good news," he said wearily.
"Both are stable at this time."
"Daniel was hit by two staff blasts. Fortunately, his backpack took most of the impact from one of the blasts. The other hit him in the ribs and abdomen and will probably take him a month to recover from."
Teal'c was hit by three staff blasts. One hit him in the left buttock; one just above the right kidney and the third hit him in the left shoulder. All of his wounds obviously came as he was trying to get to the Stargate."
"Thank you, doctor. Could you please let me know when I can talk to Teal'c again?"
"Well, if Daniel had taken the wounds that Teal'c has, he'd probably be dead now. But, with Teal'c, it seems junior has done a wonderful job of keeping him alive and is well on the way to healing him. I'd expect he'll be able to talk to you in an hour or maybe two. He'll still be hurting, but knowing Teal'c he'll try to convince you to send him on a rescue mission."
"He already tried that when he was being carried out on a stretcher." General Hammond smiled a little. "For a moment, I was afraid I was going to have to zat him."
"That sounds like Teal'c alright." She stifled a laugh. "I hope Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter are okay."
"So do I, doctor. So do I." He didn't tell her that Teal'c had believed Major Carter was wounded as well.
~~~
P4X369
O'Neill waited patiently, listening for any sign the Jaffa had been able to follow him during his flight from the area near the Stargate. When two minutes had passed and he'd heard no sounds, he began moving back toward the path he and Carter had taken when approaching the gate. Twenty minutes later, he was certain he'd found the path they were running on. He followed it back in the direction of the Stargate, walking slowly and quietly.
A few minutes later, he found tracks that indicated Carter had been injured. She was stepping heavily on her right foot and dragging her left. Less than a minute later, he found her.
She was laying on her back, face turned away from him. Her P-90 was just beyond the reach of her outstretched right hand. He could see that the reason she'd been limping was that her left thigh had a wound from a staff blast. Her chest was rising and falling, so he could tell she was alive. Her face was turned away from him, so he couldn't tell if she was conscious.
After circling her twice to be sure there were no Jaffa hidden nearby to spring a trap, O'Neill approached her and knelt down at her side.
"Carter," he said quietly, "can you hear me?" He got no response.
"Come on Carter, wake up." He shook her and her face turned toward him. He swallowed hard when he saw the right side of her face. She'd been hit by a staff weapon. Below her eye and behind her mouth she was terribly burned and blistered. Her right earlobe was gone and much of the hair on that side of her head had been burned away.
He closed his eyes for a moment, took a breath and decided what he needed to do. He collected Carter's dropped P-90 and slung it next to his own. Carefully, he pulled Carter into a sitting position and maneuvered her so he could put her over his shoulder and carry her. Moments later, he was heading for the Stargate, one hand holding his P-90 and the other gripping Carter's wrist and a handful of her BDU trousers to keep her from falling off his shoulders.
As he approached the gate with Carter, O'Neill could hear voices ahead of him. He stopped and put Carter on the ground as carefully as he could.
"Are all the intruders accounted for?"
"No, my lord. Two have fled through the Chappa'ai. One was killed in the jungle, but one has eluded capture thus far. We will guard the Chappa'ai and prevent the last one from escaping.
"Very well. This has put us behind schedule. You may have six Jaffa to guard the gate, no more. The rest must continue with preparations for our next shipment of naquada.
"Of course, my lord. Six Jaffa should easily be enough to thwart one enemy from going through the gate."
Six Jaffa to guard the gate. If he didn't have to dial out, it wouldn't be so bad, but with having to dial out he'd have to have them all dead or pinned down to do it. Not to mention carrying Carter through the gate. A thought struck him. He carried Carter back away from the Stargate and set her down again.
He had to wake her up in order to get them out. He was going to need her firepower to do the job. He pulled out an ammonia capsule, broke it and slowly moved it back and forth under her nose. Her eyes flew open and she hit him with her right fist, knocking him over backward.
"Carter, it's me."
"Sorry, sir. What happened?" Almost on cue, she noted the pain in her leg, looked down and grimaced. "Nevermind, I think I know. Ow, my face hurts." She reached her right hand up to touch it.
"Carter, no!" O'Neill lunged forward and caught her hand before it came in contact with her face. "Don't touch it. Trust me."
She looked at him for a moment, searching his face for a clue as to how bad her injury was. As usual, his face was unreadable. "Okay, so where are Daniel and Teal'c?"
"They got through the gate. We're going to join them shortly. First, we have to get to the DHD and the gate though. It's being guarded by six Jaffa. I'd like to catch them from two sides to take them down fast."
~~~
Cheyenne Mountain, Earth
"I must speak with General Hammond."
Doctor Fraiser heard the Jaffa's raised voice and hurried to check on him. She found two airmen forcibly holding him down on his bed.
"Teal'c, please calm down."
He continued to try to get up. "I must speak with the general at once."
"I'll call him, Teal'c. I know he wanted to speak with you when you were able."
That seemed to mollify him and he lay back after adjusting his bed to an inclined sitting position. "Very well, I shall await him." A few minutes later, Doctor Fraiser returned.
"General Hammond is on his way."
"Thank you, doctor. How is Daniel Jackson?"
"He's still unconscious and the medication we're giving him will probably keep him that way for a while. I really thought you'd be out longer, but apparently Junior had other ideas."
"My symbiote is well on the way to healing my injuries."
"That's good to hear, Teal'c" came General Hammond's voice. I'm told you wanted to speak with me."
"Yes, general, I believe you need a full report of what we found on P4X369."
"Alright son, let's hear it."
"We arrived and found the clearing for the Stargate unguarded as the UAV had indicated it would be. However, both Colonel O'Neill and myself felt uneasy. We left the clearing and proceeded toward what reconnaissance had indicated was the nearest buildings. We found that the buildings seen by the UAV were not in fact all the buildings. There appears to be something creating a camouflaging cover that makes buildings appear to be only jungle. We were approximately twenty yards away from a building before we saw it. We stopped to evaluate the situation. While discussing it, we heard a Jaffa patrol and from what they said, we had already been detected. At that time, Colonel O'Neill directed us to return to the Stargate for evacuation. We split into two groups, with Major Carter and Colonel O'Neill trying to draw the patrol away from Daniel Jackson and myself." Teal'c stopped for a moment, then continued.
"We were discovered by another Jaffa patrol and came under fire. Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter attempted to come to our aid. Colonel O'Neill made it to the clearing and provided cover fire so we could activate the Stargate and go through. Major Carter was cut off and I believe wounded at that time. Colonel O'Neill chose to remain behind in order to recover Major Carter." Teal'c lay back on the bed, his face as expressionless as a piece of stone.
"Thank you, Teal'c. I appreciate you giving me a full rundown. What is your estimation of this camouflaging technology? Is it something to be considered a serious threat?"
"If only this Goa'uld has access to that technology, it is not a great threat. However, if other Goa'uld who are more powerful manage to acquire it, they could easily place bases on planets and we would never know they were there until it was too late. If the Tok'ra have noticed the discrepancy in the naquada productivity in comparison to the supposedly small installation, it is likely the Goa'uld will not be fooled for much longer."
"I agree, Teal'c. We're going to have to neutralize the technology before it can spread to any of the major System Lords. I'm going to have to get permission to send through a strike team to take out the whole operation."
"I believe we should retrieve Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter before we attempt any such operation. I would like to volunteer to go back to get them immediately." He winced as he sat up straight and began swinging his legs off the bed.
"I'm sorry Teal'c, but when you came through, a number of staff weapons were also fired through the wormhole. I have to assume that the gate is now guarded. If we go through, we'll have to be prepared to fight as soon as we step down on the other side. Right now, I don't think we'd be prepared for that. As much as I want to get our people back, I won't throw away the lives of other good people as a futile gesture. I know you'd like to go and I know you'd risk your life to get them back. I appreciate that, but you're in no shape to try it. Get some rest now."
Teal'c swung his legs back up on the bed and leaned back. After a moment, he closed his eyes and began the process of going into a state of kel'noreem. In that state, the symbiote could better heal him and he'd be ready to return to P4X369 that much sooner.
~~~
"General, if Major Carter is wounded, as Teal'c believes her to be, every moment we delay in getting her back adds to the likelihood she won't survive."
"I'm aware of that, doctor. However, as I told Teal'c, and as I'm sure you overheard, we are not currently prepared to make an assault on exiting a Stargate. Our people would be cut down as fast as they could get through. We might succeed, but the losses would be unacceptable."
"But general, this is Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter we're talking about. I don't think you understand."
"Doctor Fraiser, I understand exactly who it is and the value that they provide to the program as a whole and to the relations we have with other cultures we've contacted, including the Tok'ra and the Asgard. Not to mention the effect they have on our own personnel. They're seen as something of a legend, having gone on so many missions and beaten the odds time and again. I still won't throw away the lives of any number of personnel just to retrieve two people. Who those people are doesn't change anything. This subject is not open for further discussion." General Hammond turned and walked out of the infirmary.
~~~
P4X369
Carter lay in the foliage at the edge of the clearing, barely hidden by the fronds of a large plant. She could easily see the six Jaffa from her position. She checked her weapon to be sure it was set for single shot and took aim on the rearmost Jaffa, patiently waiting for O'Neill's signal. Finally, it came, a double-click over the radio to tell her he was in position. She fired a single shot, killing the Jaffa and drawing the attention of the other five. She flipped her selector switch to full auto and pressed herself as firmly into the ground as she could to avoid the retaliation of the Jaffa.
O'Neill saw the five Jaffa turn as one and begin firing into the jungle. For the most part, they were not hitting anywhere near Carter. He checked his weapon to be sure it was on full auto and opened fire, dropping two of them before they had a chance to turn toward the new threat. When they did, Carter opened up on them from the side, taking them out.
O'Neill ran forward and began working the DHD as Carter hobbled her way into the clearing. Moments later the gate came to life.
"Sir, I've sent our code. We're good to go here."
"Good work Carter." He moved to her left side to help support her weight.
"Thanks, sir. I." She passed out before she could finish what she was saying.
O'Neill swept her up into his arms and strode through the gate.
~~~
Cheyenne Mountain, Earth
"Unscheduled offworld activation." The disembodied voice of the computer sounded for the second time in less than eight hours.
General Hammond appeared in the control room only moments after the announcement. "What do we have airman?"
"Sir, the gate just activated and we've got a signal. It's SG-1 sir."
"Open the iris." General Hammond picked up the microphone for the base PA system. "Backup security detail to the gate room immediately." He put down the microphone and looked back at the technician who'd opened the iris. "Be ready to close the iris on my order."
"Sir?" The airman inquired.
"Our people have been cut off in a known hostile environment. Their codes may have been compromised. We can't risk letting a full assault team of Jaffa into our complex."
Moments later, the event horizon rippled and Colonel O'Neill walked down the ramp carrying Major Carter.
"Airman, close the iris," General Hammond commanded.
"Yes, sir." He pushed a button. "Sir, the iris is closed."
"Make a hole! We're going to the infirmary." Colonel O'Neill's voice rang out as he approached the doorway.
"Sir, I'm sorry, but without the general's permission, I can't let you pass."
"Lieutenant, if you don't get your ass out of my way, there's going to be two people needing medical attention. Are we clear."
The Lieutenant swallowed, but stood his ground.
Colonel O'Neill bent down to put Major Carter on the gate room floor, but was interrupted by an announcement from the PA system.
General Hammond saw the altercation and moved to head it off. He picked up the microphone. "Infirmary stand by to receive wounded personnel. Lieutenant, clear a path to the infirmary."
"Sorry sir," the Lieutenant said. He moved out into the hall. "Make a hole! Clear out now."
Colonel O'Neill followed him silently.
~~~
"Colonel? Colonel O'Neill? Jack, would you pay attention?" General Hammond raised his voice.
"Sorry, sir. Where were we?"
"You were about to tell me what happened after Teal'c and Doctor Jackson returned through the Stargate."
Colonel O'Neill shifted uncomfortably in his chair and stared at the wall behind General Hammond. "I withdrew from contact with the Jaffa I'd engaged to allow Daniel and Teal'c to get through the gate. They attempted to follow me, but I was able to eventually elude them. Once I was certain they were not following me, I worked my way back to where Carter and I had been prior to Teal'c's call for help. I then searched the path we'd taken to try to get back to the Stargate as quickly as possible. It wasn't long before I noticed that Carter's footprints indicated a problem with her leg. She was dragging her left foot. A little further on, I found her unconscious. Upon inspecting her, I noted the leg wound and a second wound to her face. I carried her to a spot near the Stargate and happened to overhear the plans for guarding the gate. There were going to be six Jaffa. I knew that trying to take six by myself wasn't a good bet, so I woke Carter up using an ammonia capsule. I explained to her what I wanted to do. She agreed it was our best chance and then we proceeded to implement my plan. It worked. The Jaffa died. We dialed home. Here we are."
"Thank you, Colonel."
"Sir, I'd like to submit Carter for a Bronze Star. I'll have a full write- up ready for you by tomorrow."
"I'm sorry Colonel, but that won't be possible."
"But sir, she deserves it."
"I'm sure she does, but I don't think she can receive both a Bronze Star and a Silver Star for the same action." The general smiled. "Both you and Major Carter will be submitted for the awards before the day is over and I can pretty well guarantee that the President himself will sign off on them. Is there anything else, Colonel?"
"No, sir."
"Very well. Get out of here and, Colonel, take a shower.?"
"Yes, sir." O'Neill got up and left the general's office.
~~~
A freshly scrubbed Colonel O'Neill arrived at the infirmary to be immediately stopped by Doctor Fraiser. She sniffed the air a couple of times. "That's definitely an improvement." She smiled broadly.
"How are they?" He asked absently as his eyes scanned the room and located his team.
Doctor Fraiser led him to Teal'c's bed. "Since going into kel'noreem, Teal'c is improving at an amazing rate, thanks to Junior."
She moved two beds down to stand beside Daniel Jackson. "Daniel will be okay, but it will probably be at least a month, possibly longer before he's fit for duty. The abdominal muscles are used in so many activities that it will be hard for him to heal any more quickly than that."
Finally, she led him to Major Carter. "Major Carter will be up and around in a week or two, but she'll limp for a while. That's really going to be the easy part. Unfortunately, she's going to have some permanent scarring on the right side of her face. Her mouth and eye are basically undamaged. She's very lucky that the blast merely skimmed her and didn't hit solidly. If it had, she wouldn't be with us." Doctor Fraiser pulled Colonel O'Neill away from the bed and into her office.
"Colonel. I'm confident that she'll recover physically from these wounds in a pretty short time. When dealing with permanent scarring like she's going to have, it's never easy. It's very much a test of her strength to deal with it. She's going to need the support of everyone who's close to her. Our people used to all stare at her with awe when she'd walk by. Now, though." She trailed off, not finishing the sentence.
Colonel O'Neill closed his eyes and leaned back against the wall, a pained expression on his face. A moment later, he opened his eyes, face once again impassive and stood up straight. "Thank you, doctor."
~~~
Cheyenne Mountain, Earth - one month later
SG-1 and at least one member from every other SG team were gathered in the conference room. They were here to discuss P4X369. The meeting had been put off until Doctor Fraiser had cleared all members of SG-1 for duty. There was a constant low-level murmuring as the men and women discussed things and told the occasional joke while awaiting the start of the meeting. General Hammond began to speak and the room quieted immediately.
"We're here to discuss the problem of the new technology we identified on P4X369 and the threat it poses to our security and that of numerous other cultures. The technology appears to be a field generator of some sort. The field creates the illusion that fabricated structures are actually just part of the normal surrounding environment. That means we could walk past an entire installation and never know it was there. It also appears to dampen any signals that might otherwise leak out to indicate a greater presence than originally detected on a survey, such as happened when SG-1 went to investigate the planet. Apparently it was intentional that a small part of the installation was left visible to the casual observer. However, I have no reason to doubt that it can completely hide things as well as partially hiding them. I shouldn't need to stress how much this could affect our operations. Our teams could be ambushed anytime or anywhere if this technology gets into the hands of one of the major System Lords." He paused to let his words sink in.
"Major Carter, you've done some theorization in the lab regarding this technology. Do you have anything you'd like to contribute regarding the camouflage generator?"
Major Carter glanced up at General Hammond, her chin resting in the palm of her right hand, the fingers cupping the side of her face. "No, sir. I'll write it up for everyone."
The general looked surprised for a moment, then continued. "Very well, please make copies of your hypotheses and see that each team gets one after the meeting. Moving on." The general began discussing possible strategies for getting through the guarded Stargate with as little loss of life as possible.
Colonel O'Neill sat directly on Carter's left side. He stared at her, not believing he'd seen and heard her correctly. He noticed her looking at him for a moment, before her eyes returned to the wall behind the general. She had to have seen him staring at her. Whatever was going on in her head, it was about time to put an end to it. She'd been this way ever since she was able to get up and around. She avoided meetings, practically refused to work one-on-one with anyone and now was unwilling to share her knowledge and experience with others.
When asked to do so, Teal'c, Daniel and Colonel O'Neill each gave their impressions of what they'd seen and how heavily they thought the gate would be defended. All the while, Carter simply sat unmoving with her elbow on the table and her chin resting in the palm of her hand. Finally, after nearly two hours, the meeting adjourned.
As soon as the general dismissed the meeting, Carter rose to leave.
"Major Carter?" O'Neill called out. "A moment, please."
She nodded and moved back into the room, leaning her right shoulder against the wall and letting the others file past her.
"Teal'c?" O'Neill waved him over, then quietly spoke to him. "As soon as everyone else is out of the room, lock the door and pull it closed behind you. Don't allow anyone within ten feet of the door, yourself included. If someone tries to get closer, zat them."
"I have no zat with me."
"I have that covered." O'Neill opened a bag he'd brought to the meeting and handed the Jaffa the weapon.
Teal'c followed the last of the SG team members out of the conference room. He locked the door and pulled it shut behind him.
O'Neill walked over to the security camera and disconnected the feed. He then moved over to the conference table and pulled the cord out of the microphone.
"What are you doing sir?"
"Something I should have done a week ago, maybe longer. We're going to have a discussion."
"About what, sir?" She stared at the wall ahead of her, not looking at him.
"Carter, look at me when I'm talking to you."
She focused her eyes on him without moving.
"No, Carter, don't move your eyes to look at me. I mean turn and face me. Now."
She hesitated, her jaw clenching and unclenching. "Sir, I don't see what that has to do with anything you'd want to talk about."
"Obviously you're faculties have become impaired since your injury. Now, face me. That's an order."
She turned to face him, the anger clear on her face, both the unblemished side and the side that was scarred so badly.
"That's better. Now, was that so hard?"
"Sir, what's the point of this?"
"The point is, Carter that you're allowing the injury you suffered to prevent you from doing your job. Sure, your face isn't the same as it was before the injury. That doesn't mean you can't or shouldn't do your job. It also doesn't mean people won't pay attention to you. You're still you. Everyone knows that."
"You don't understand, sir. They stare at me. I can't shake the feeling that they're not looking at me or listening to me. They're only looking at the scars."
O'Neill walked toward her and took her by the shoulders. "The scars are part of you. They are a part of who you are, but only a part. They don't define the whole."
Carter's eyes began to fill with tears. "I know that, sir. It's just that.I feel like the circus freak that everyone stares at, the one that scares the children when they look at it."
O'Neill raised his left hand and cupped the scarred side of her face. "Just because this is different than it used to be doesn't mean it's not you. When I look at you, I see the same idealistic Captain who threatened to arm wrestle me to get on the team. I see the same person I refused to leave behind in that mothership when we were separated by a force field. For me, nothing has changed. You're still the same Samantha Carter. You need to see that. You need to believe that, to believe in yourself."
Carter looked up at him and smiled, then began to cry. O'Neill held her as she did so, waiting for her to finally relax and stop shaking. After a few minutes, she did and looked up at him.
"Thank you, sir." She stepped back and wiped the last of the tears from her face, then noticed the damp spot on the front of his uniform. "I'm sorry about that."
"Think nothing of it, Major." He gave her his most charming smile.
She smiled back just as the sound of a zat came from out in the hall.
"Uh-oh," the quiet words came from Colonel O'Neill.
"Uh-oh, sir? What does that mean?"
He explained about Teal'c, the zat and his order regarding anyone approaching the conference room.
Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter stepped out into the hall to find Sergeant Siler on the ground trying to get his bearings.
"Teal'c what did you shoot Siler for?"
"Your instructions were very clear, O'Neill. Shoot anyone who comes within ten feet of the door. I attempted to dissuade Sergeant Siler, but he insisted that the camera and microphone in the conference room had suffered damage and that he had to fix them. When he refused to comply with my request that he wait until later, I indicated my willingness to disable him. Quite apparently, he did not believe me."
"Quite apparently. Siler, you'll find that the camera and microphone have been disconnected. When you're able to get up, feel free to reconnect them. Teal'c, thanks for your assistance."
The Jaffa inclined his head in acknowledgement. "If my services are no longer required, I will retire to my quarters." He handed the zat to Colonel O'Neill and walked away.
Carter looked at O'Neill. "What now, sir?"
"I was thinking dinner in the mess hall. I'm buying."
"But sir, it's free."
"Okay, so Uncle Sam's buying." He shrugged. "Come on. I hear they have green Jello."
They ate dinner with sporadic, but comfortable conversation. When they were leaving the mess hall, Carter stopped O'Neill. "Sir, I really appreciate you taking the time to try to help me when I was behaving so poorly toward everyone."
"Hey, what's an OIC for, if not to apply the boot to the backside from time to time? I take it this means you're willing to try coming back and being an integral part of the team again?"
"Yes, sir. I'd like that."
"Good to have you back, Carter. Daniel was beginning to convince me that the real you had been abducted by aliens." He saw the smile cross her face and was glad to see her sense of humor had improved as well. "See you tomorrow."
"Good night, sir." She headed back to her quarters, smiling as she walked, oblivious to all those around her.
~~~
Asgard Vessel, Earth Orbit
Two gray-skinned Asgard stood silently on the bridge of their ship, observing the last remarks between Carter and O'Neill.
Thor looked at Heimdall for a while then spoke. "Having listened to the entire interplay between Carter and O'Neill, do you believe that this qualifies as the change you were waiting for?"
"Indeed it does. She had to come to this realization. If we'd have interfered, it could have created worse problems. Now we know that she can feel secure in the person she is, not just what she looks like. She also knows this. That is the key to her recovery."
"Very well, when she has fallen asleep, we will bring her here and you can repair her injuries. It would have been much more expedient to simply repair them immediately."
They'd been over this before, many times. "Yes, but they are not like us. They do not think like us or react like us. By doing so, we could have had a detrimental effect. By waiting, we know she will have no self doubt."
"They are a young race, Heimdall, and I do not always understand them."
"They are indeed young, but they have much potential."
The two Asgard sat in silence for nearly three hours before there was a beep at Heimdall's console.
"Sensors indicate that she has fallen asleep."
~~~
Cheyenne Mountain, Earth
Major Carter awoke, feeling relieved. She was ready to face the world again. But first, she needed a shower.
She didn't bother to turn on any lights in her quarters, just walked to the bathroom and flipped the switch to turn on the light and the vent fan before shutting the door. She showered and washed her hair, dried off and went back into her living area to get dressed.
She flipped on the light and went to the closet to grab her clothes. She quickly threw on her BDUs and then moved to the vanity to comb her hair. She was in the process of getting a tangle out of the hair on the right side of her head behind her ear when she realized that there wasn't normally hair there to untangle. At least not recently. She looked in the mirror and her mouth dropped open. She cautiously put a hand up to her face and felt it. All that was there was smooth skin. Her earlobe was back, too.
She picked up the phone and dialed Colonel O'Neill's number. She began speaking as soon as she heard the receiver picked up. "Sir, you have to see this. It's incredible."
A groggy O'Neill replied, "what's that?"
"Sir come to my quarters. You've got to see this to believe it."
"Okay, I'll be there in a few minutes." He hung up the phone.
Ten minutes later, O'Neill knocked on Carter's door.
She opened it and let him in. "Well, what do you think?" She smiled broadly at him.
"What do you mean, what do I think? About what?"
She smiled a more satisfied smile as she realized he'd told her the truth when he'd told her how he saw her. He didn't notice the injury when he looked at her, so he didn't notice its absence now. She pointed at her hair. "What do you think?"
O'Neill couldn't believe that she'd gotten him up at 0530 to look at her hair. Then it dawned on him. Since the injury, the hair on that side of her head had been very stunted by burns. He gave her a big grin. "Carter, what's happened to you?"
"Well, sir, I think I was abducted by aliens."
He walked forward and put his left hand to her cheek and gently ran his thumb across it. She leaned into it. Their eyes locked and they stood there for half a minute before they were interrupted.
"Unscheduled offworld activation." The voice echoed through the complex.
The moment broken, they both headed out the door at a run.
~~~
What do you think? Please review and let me know. - Chapter 2 is in development.
Author's Note: Please read and review. Comments and suggestions are welcome. Constructive criticism is welcome, as it will improve future writing.
Posted some minor corrections.spelling, grammar, etc.
P4X369
The Stargate shut off behind SG-1, leaving them to stand silently in a small clearing, surrounded by jungle foliage.
Tok'ra intelligence said that this unremarkable little planet was producing a truly remarkable amount of naquada. SG-1 was tasked with determining the validity of the intelligence. Aerial reconnaissance had been inconclusive.
The UAV that had been used to scout the immediate vicinity around the Stargate indicated that there was a small contingent of Jaffa and possibly a Goa'uld nearby, based on the dwellings that could be seen half a mile away. The gate itself had appeared to be completely unguarded. On a planet ruled by a Goa'uld with limited resources, this was not altogether unusual, but something about it didn't sit right with O'Neill.
He scanned the jungle, which had grown up thickly around the Stargate and was apparently only being kept back by the expansion of the event horizon and by frequent use of a path that disappeared back into the trees, presumably leading back to the dwellings the UAV had seen.
Teal'c gripped his staff and swiveled his head, silently peering into the trees. His jaw clenched and unclenched unconsciously as he continued to look around.
Major Carter noticed his reaction and immediately checked her P-90 to be sure it was ready. "Sir, something's got Teal'c spooked."
"I feel it too, Major. Something isn't right. I just can't put my finger on what."
"Shall I dial home, sir?"
"Negative. We are here for a reconnaissance mission and unless we find more than the heebie-jeebies to bother us, we're going to do just that."
"Sam, did you see the DHD? Look at the symbols on it. There's at least a half-dozen I don't recognize as being on our list. When you think about it, that gives a whole new meaning to 'You can't get there from here.'" Daniel Jackson gave a big grin that, as usual, was infectious enough to make Major Carter break out in a smile of her own.
Colonel O'Neill watched the Major's face light up as she hurried over to look at the symbols. He was always amazed at the way any new discovery seemed to bring life to her. Like a kid at Christmas, he thought. He stood, watching her for some time.
"Colonel O'Neill," came a quiet voice.
It didn't break through his focus. He watched as Carter and Daniel took turns taking pictures of the DHD with a digital camera and digital camcorder. More tech gadgets that she'd absolutely had to have and, he admitted it had proven their worth.
"Colonel O'Neill," came the voice again.
He shook his head and then responded. "Yes, Teal'c."
"I do not believe it is wise for us to remain in the clearing. We should move into the jungle to avoid any patrols that might have heard the sound of the gate activation."
"You're right, Teal'c." He focused on Carter and Daniel again. "Okay, you two. Enough of the techno-archeology whatchamacallits. Let's get ready to move out."
"Yes, sir," Carter hid a grin as she packed away her camera. O'Neill's unwillingness or inability to learn the names of things or refer to them properly had a tendency to make her laugh.
"Okay, Jack. I'm about as ready as I can be." Daniel stowed his gear and stood up, pack shouldered.
"Teal'c, take point. Daniel, you're next, then Carter. I'll watch the rear."
Teal'c moved out without a word. Daniel followed him. Carter waited a moment, looking at Colonel O'Neill. He raised an eyebrow and tilted his head slightly, waiting for her to move. A moment later, she shook her head almost imperceptibly, a bemused expression on her face, then moved to follow Daniel.
Carter waited until she was almost to the edge of the clearing and then allowed her hips a most non-military wiggle. I can't believe I just did that. But then, the Colonel's comment about watching the rear had struck her as funny and he definitely deserved to be teased for it.
O'Neill shook his head and blinked a couple of times. Did she just. nah, she must have misstepped; she wouldn't have done that on purpose. He waited just a moment longer and then followed her into the jungle.
~~~
The journey to the small group of buildings took more than half an hour. They carefully swung out away from the well-used trail and then angled back to come in from the side.
Aerial reconnaissance had suggested that it was only a small operation. From the ground, it became obvious that the video was wrong. The first indication was when Teal'c raised his right hand in a clenched fist to signal the others to stop moving, then indicated that O'Neill should come forward to see what he was seeing.
The sight astounded him. Not twenty yards ahead was a very large building that had not shown up when the UAV flew over. They had somehow managed to not notice the building until that moment. A building that size should have stuck out like a sore thumb. He glanced at Teal'c; he looked troubled.
"What are you thinking Teal'c?"
"I believe this Goa'uld possesses technology to camouflage buildings in a manner far superior to anything I've ever seen before." He paused, staring at the large building, then took a step backward. "From here, the building appears to be nothing more than jungle. It is possible that there is much more here than we originally thought. I recommend that we withdraw at once."
That was unlike Teal'c. He rarely opted to retreat. "Carter, come up here a moment."
"Yes, sir," came the instant reply. "What's going on? Whoa! Sir, there's a building there that we never noticed. The recon drone didn't show it."
"No, it didn't. That means that none of the recon data from the UAV is valid, or at the least it is all suspect until proven otherwise. Teal'c recommends we withdraw. What do you think?"
"I concur, sir." She looked around the jungle. "If they can hide a building like that, isn't it just as possible that they could hide a lot more, such as barracks for Jaffa, hangars for death gliders, or even a mothership?" Her musing was interrupted by an all too familiar sound.
"Jaffa, kree! There are intruders nearby. Find them and eliminate them." The voice came from somewhere off to their right.
"Okay, leaving is probably good. Daniel, Teal'c head for the Stargate. Carter and I will try to draw the Jaffa away and then follow. Don't dawdle. We've got no idea how many Jaffa are out here."
O'Neill grinned at Carter. There was nothing like playing hide and seek with a bunch of Jaffa who wanted to kill you.
Twenty minutes later, Teal'c radioed with a status report. "We are nearing the Stargate. I believe we have successfully evaded detection." At just that moment, Daniel Jackson sneezed loudly enough that O'Neill could hear it over the radio.
"Correction, O'Neill, we have now been detected." The sound of several staff blasts came across the channel, and then the radio went quiet as Teal'c obviously let go of the transmitter.
"Sir, we'd better move fast if we want to have a chance to help them. I'm pretty sure the group of Jaffa that was chasing us is far enough away for us to move fast without drawing too much attention."
"Alright Carter, let's move out." He moved off into the jungle, heading directly toward the Stargate. Carter followed him seconds later.
O'Neill's radio crackled a bit and then the channel came through more clearly. ".taking heavy fire O'Neill.Jaffa." The sound of several staff blasts came across the channel, as did a cry of pain. ".Jackson has been injured.to dial out.covering fire."
"Carter, we have to run if we're going to help them." He took off at a sprint.
"Yes, sir." Came the reply, as she followed as quickly as she could.
O'Neill was faster than Carter and easily outdistanced her. Moments later, he heard the sound of the Stargate activating and a large number of staff weapons firing. He located the Jaffa and began firing into them, more for confusion than for effect. The Jaffa stopped firing and took cover.
"Okay people, let's get out of here," O'Neill yelled.
Teal'c pulled Daniel to a standing position and drug him toward the gate.
"Get ready to run Carter."
O'Neill looked for her to make sure she'd heard him. She wasn't there.
"Carter, we need to go. Where are you?" O'Neill used the radio to get her attention.
"They cut me off, sir. I'm trying to work my way to." The transmission was cut off by the sound of multiple staff blasts.
"Carter? Major Carter? Carter, are you there?"
"Teal'c, get Daniel and yourself through the gate. I'll follow with Carter as soon as we can."
"Colonel O'Neill. I will remain and assist you after pushing Doctor Jackson through the gate."
"Negative Teal'c. You'll both go."
Teal'c was about to disagree further when the Jaffa resumed firing. He and Daniel were both hit and fell through the gate. Several staff blasts also went into the gate.
~~~
Cheyenne Mountain, Earth
"Unscheduled offworld activation." The disembodied voice of the computer sounded throughout the Cheyenne Mountain complex.
The team assigned to guard the gate room readied their weapons and gazed intently at the iris. The tech assigned to monitor gate activity watched her readouts to see if any transmission codes were coming through.
"Report," came General Hammond's voice from behind her.
"Sir, the gate was activated less than one minute ago. So far there has been no signal. Wait, I'm getting a transmission, sir. The code belongs to SG-1."
"I wasn't expecting them for at least a few more hours." He stared at the iris, wondering what might have prompted the early return, then continued. "Open the iris."
Nearly a minute passed before Teal'c and Doctor Jackson tumbled through the event horizon, followed by half a dozen staff blasts. Both of them were obviously wounded. One of the security personnel had also been unfortunate enough to catch a staff blast in the chest.
"Medical team report to the gate room. Medical team report to the gate room. We have wounded personnel."
General Hammond waited expectantly for Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter, but nothing came through. Seeing that, he hurried into the gate room to talk to Teal'c.
Two members of the medical team passed him with a stretcher bearing Doctor Jackson. He was unconscious. Two more were following with another stretcher bearing Teal'c. He appeared to be conscious, so General Hammond stopped them for a moment.
"Teal'c, can you hear me?"
"Yes, General Hammond," he replied. The strain in his voice was evidence of the pain he was in.
"Where are Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter?"
Teal'c struggled to rise. "I must return. They are under attack. I believe Major Carter is wounded."
"No, son, you need medical attention." The general placed a hand on the Jaffa's shoulder. "Did Colonel O'Neill say anything before you came through the gate?"
"Only that he and Major Carter would follow when they could."
"Okay. Thank you." He turned to the waiting medical staff. "Get this man to the infirmary."
The general looked up at the control room. "Close the iris."
~~~
Doctor Fraiser arrived at the infirmary twenty minutes after the iris had been closed. "General, I'm sorry I wasn't here, but they weren't expected back for hours yet."
"It's not your fault, doctor. It seems SG-1 ran into some trouble on P4X369 and had to make the transit back sooner than expected."
"Where are the Colonel and the Major?"
"They are still offworld, doctor."
"Are they okay?"
"At this point, we don't know much. Please take a look at Teal'c and Doctor Jackson, then give me an update. I have to get back to my office for a phone call that should be coming anytime now."
"Yes, sir," she said to the general's back as he left the infirmary.
Half an hour later she was at General Hammond's office. She stopped in the doorway when she saw he was still on the phone. He waved her, indicated she should close the door and then take a seat.
"Yes, sir. So do I, sir. Yes, sir. Goodbye, sir." General Hammond hung up the phone and turned his attention to Doctor Fraiser.
"Doctor, give me some good news," he said wearily.
"Both are stable at this time."
"Daniel was hit by two staff blasts. Fortunately, his backpack took most of the impact from one of the blasts. The other hit him in the ribs and abdomen and will probably take him a month to recover from."
Teal'c was hit by three staff blasts. One hit him in the left buttock; one just above the right kidney and the third hit him in the left shoulder. All of his wounds obviously came as he was trying to get to the Stargate."
"Thank you, doctor. Could you please let me know when I can talk to Teal'c again?"
"Well, if Daniel had taken the wounds that Teal'c has, he'd probably be dead now. But, with Teal'c, it seems junior has done a wonderful job of keeping him alive and is well on the way to healing him. I'd expect he'll be able to talk to you in an hour or maybe two. He'll still be hurting, but knowing Teal'c he'll try to convince you to send him on a rescue mission."
"He already tried that when he was being carried out on a stretcher." General Hammond smiled a little. "For a moment, I was afraid I was going to have to zat him."
"That sounds like Teal'c alright." She stifled a laugh. "I hope Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter are okay."
"So do I, doctor. So do I." He didn't tell her that Teal'c had believed Major Carter was wounded as well.
~~~
P4X369
O'Neill waited patiently, listening for any sign the Jaffa had been able to follow him during his flight from the area near the Stargate. When two minutes had passed and he'd heard no sounds, he began moving back toward the path he and Carter had taken when approaching the gate. Twenty minutes later, he was certain he'd found the path they were running on. He followed it back in the direction of the Stargate, walking slowly and quietly.
A few minutes later, he found tracks that indicated Carter had been injured. She was stepping heavily on her right foot and dragging her left. Less than a minute later, he found her.
She was laying on her back, face turned away from him. Her P-90 was just beyond the reach of her outstretched right hand. He could see that the reason she'd been limping was that her left thigh had a wound from a staff blast. Her chest was rising and falling, so he could tell she was alive. Her face was turned away from him, so he couldn't tell if she was conscious.
After circling her twice to be sure there were no Jaffa hidden nearby to spring a trap, O'Neill approached her and knelt down at her side.
"Carter," he said quietly, "can you hear me?" He got no response.
"Come on Carter, wake up." He shook her and her face turned toward him. He swallowed hard when he saw the right side of her face. She'd been hit by a staff weapon. Below her eye and behind her mouth she was terribly burned and blistered. Her right earlobe was gone and much of the hair on that side of her head had been burned away.
He closed his eyes for a moment, took a breath and decided what he needed to do. He collected Carter's dropped P-90 and slung it next to his own. Carefully, he pulled Carter into a sitting position and maneuvered her so he could put her over his shoulder and carry her. Moments later, he was heading for the Stargate, one hand holding his P-90 and the other gripping Carter's wrist and a handful of her BDU trousers to keep her from falling off his shoulders.
As he approached the gate with Carter, O'Neill could hear voices ahead of him. He stopped and put Carter on the ground as carefully as he could.
"Are all the intruders accounted for?"
"No, my lord. Two have fled through the Chappa'ai. One was killed in the jungle, but one has eluded capture thus far. We will guard the Chappa'ai and prevent the last one from escaping.
"Very well. This has put us behind schedule. You may have six Jaffa to guard the gate, no more. The rest must continue with preparations for our next shipment of naquada.
"Of course, my lord. Six Jaffa should easily be enough to thwart one enemy from going through the gate."
Six Jaffa to guard the gate. If he didn't have to dial out, it wouldn't be so bad, but with having to dial out he'd have to have them all dead or pinned down to do it. Not to mention carrying Carter through the gate. A thought struck him. He carried Carter back away from the Stargate and set her down again.
He had to wake her up in order to get them out. He was going to need her firepower to do the job. He pulled out an ammonia capsule, broke it and slowly moved it back and forth under her nose. Her eyes flew open and she hit him with her right fist, knocking him over backward.
"Carter, it's me."
"Sorry, sir. What happened?" Almost on cue, she noted the pain in her leg, looked down and grimaced. "Nevermind, I think I know. Ow, my face hurts." She reached her right hand up to touch it.
"Carter, no!" O'Neill lunged forward and caught her hand before it came in contact with her face. "Don't touch it. Trust me."
She looked at him for a moment, searching his face for a clue as to how bad her injury was. As usual, his face was unreadable. "Okay, so where are Daniel and Teal'c?"
"They got through the gate. We're going to join them shortly. First, we have to get to the DHD and the gate though. It's being guarded by six Jaffa. I'd like to catch them from two sides to take them down fast."
~~~
Cheyenne Mountain, Earth
"I must speak with General Hammond."
Doctor Fraiser heard the Jaffa's raised voice and hurried to check on him. She found two airmen forcibly holding him down on his bed.
"Teal'c, please calm down."
He continued to try to get up. "I must speak with the general at once."
"I'll call him, Teal'c. I know he wanted to speak with you when you were able."
That seemed to mollify him and he lay back after adjusting his bed to an inclined sitting position. "Very well, I shall await him." A few minutes later, Doctor Fraiser returned.
"General Hammond is on his way."
"Thank you, doctor. How is Daniel Jackson?"
"He's still unconscious and the medication we're giving him will probably keep him that way for a while. I really thought you'd be out longer, but apparently Junior had other ideas."
"My symbiote is well on the way to healing my injuries."
"That's good to hear, Teal'c" came General Hammond's voice. I'm told you wanted to speak with me."
"Yes, general, I believe you need a full report of what we found on P4X369."
"Alright son, let's hear it."
"We arrived and found the clearing for the Stargate unguarded as the UAV had indicated it would be. However, both Colonel O'Neill and myself felt uneasy. We left the clearing and proceeded toward what reconnaissance had indicated was the nearest buildings. We found that the buildings seen by the UAV were not in fact all the buildings. There appears to be something creating a camouflaging cover that makes buildings appear to be only jungle. We were approximately twenty yards away from a building before we saw it. We stopped to evaluate the situation. While discussing it, we heard a Jaffa patrol and from what they said, we had already been detected. At that time, Colonel O'Neill directed us to return to the Stargate for evacuation. We split into two groups, with Major Carter and Colonel O'Neill trying to draw the patrol away from Daniel Jackson and myself." Teal'c stopped for a moment, then continued.
"We were discovered by another Jaffa patrol and came under fire. Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter attempted to come to our aid. Colonel O'Neill made it to the clearing and provided cover fire so we could activate the Stargate and go through. Major Carter was cut off and I believe wounded at that time. Colonel O'Neill chose to remain behind in order to recover Major Carter." Teal'c lay back on the bed, his face as expressionless as a piece of stone.
"Thank you, Teal'c. I appreciate you giving me a full rundown. What is your estimation of this camouflaging technology? Is it something to be considered a serious threat?"
"If only this Goa'uld has access to that technology, it is not a great threat. However, if other Goa'uld who are more powerful manage to acquire it, they could easily place bases on planets and we would never know they were there until it was too late. If the Tok'ra have noticed the discrepancy in the naquada productivity in comparison to the supposedly small installation, it is likely the Goa'uld will not be fooled for much longer."
"I agree, Teal'c. We're going to have to neutralize the technology before it can spread to any of the major System Lords. I'm going to have to get permission to send through a strike team to take out the whole operation."
"I believe we should retrieve Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter before we attempt any such operation. I would like to volunteer to go back to get them immediately." He winced as he sat up straight and began swinging his legs off the bed.
"I'm sorry Teal'c, but when you came through, a number of staff weapons were also fired through the wormhole. I have to assume that the gate is now guarded. If we go through, we'll have to be prepared to fight as soon as we step down on the other side. Right now, I don't think we'd be prepared for that. As much as I want to get our people back, I won't throw away the lives of other good people as a futile gesture. I know you'd like to go and I know you'd risk your life to get them back. I appreciate that, but you're in no shape to try it. Get some rest now."
Teal'c swung his legs back up on the bed and leaned back. After a moment, he closed his eyes and began the process of going into a state of kel'noreem. In that state, the symbiote could better heal him and he'd be ready to return to P4X369 that much sooner.
~~~
"General, if Major Carter is wounded, as Teal'c believes her to be, every moment we delay in getting her back adds to the likelihood she won't survive."
"I'm aware of that, doctor. However, as I told Teal'c, and as I'm sure you overheard, we are not currently prepared to make an assault on exiting a Stargate. Our people would be cut down as fast as they could get through. We might succeed, but the losses would be unacceptable."
"But general, this is Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter we're talking about. I don't think you understand."
"Doctor Fraiser, I understand exactly who it is and the value that they provide to the program as a whole and to the relations we have with other cultures we've contacted, including the Tok'ra and the Asgard. Not to mention the effect they have on our own personnel. They're seen as something of a legend, having gone on so many missions and beaten the odds time and again. I still won't throw away the lives of any number of personnel just to retrieve two people. Who those people are doesn't change anything. This subject is not open for further discussion." General Hammond turned and walked out of the infirmary.
~~~
P4X369
Carter lay in the foliage at the edge of the clearing, barely hidden by the fronds of a large plant. She could easily see the six Jaffa from her position. She checked her weapon to be sure it was set for single shot and took aim on the rearmost Jaffa, patiently waiting for O'Neill's signal. Finally, it came, a double-click over the radio to tell her he was in position. She fired a single shot, killing the Jaffa and drawing the attention of the other five. She flipped her selector switch to full auto and pressed herself as firmly into the ground as she could to avoid the retaliation of the Jaffa.
O'Neill saw the five Jaffa turn as one and begin firing into the jungle. For the most part, they were not hitting anywhere near Carter. He checked his weapon to be sure it was on full auto and opened fire, dropping two of them before they had a chance to turn toward the new threat. When they did, Carter opened up on them from the side, taking them out.
O'Neill ran forward and began working the DHD as Carter hobbled her way into the clearing. Moments later the gate came to life.
"Sir, I've sent our code. We're good to go here."
"Good work Carter." He moved to her left side to help support her weight.
"Thanks, sir. I." She passed out before she could finish what she was saying.
O'Neill swept her up into his arms and strode through the gate.
~~~
Cheyenne Mountain, Earth
"Unscheduled offworld activation." The disembodied voice of the computer sounded for the second time in less than eight hours.
General Hammond appeared in the control room only moments after the announcement. "What do we have airman?"
"Sir, the gate just activated and we've got a signal. It's SG-1 sir."
"Open the iris." General Hammond picked up the microphone for the base PA system. "Backup security detail to the gate room immediately." He put down the microphone and looked back at the technician who'd opened the iris. "Be ready to close the iris on my order."
"Sir?" The airman inquired.
"Our people have been cut off in a known hostile environment. Their codes may have been compromised. We can't risk letting a full assault team of Jaffa into our complex."
Moments later, the event horizon rippled and Colonel O'Neill walked down the ramp carrying Major Carter.
"Airman, close the iris," General Hammond commanded.
"Yes, sir." He pushed a button. "Sir, the iris is closed."
"Make a hole! We're going to the infirmary." Colonel O'Neill's voice rang out as he approached the doorway.
"Sir, I'm sorry, but without the general's permission, I can't let you pass."
"Lieutenant, if you don't get your ass out of my way, there's going to be two people needing medical attention. Are we clear."
The Lieutenant swallowed, but stood his ground.
Colonel O'Neill bent down to put Major Carter on the gate room floor, but was interrupted by an announcement from the PA system.
General Hammond saw the altercation and moved to head it off. He picked up the microphone. "Infirmary stand by to receive wounded personnel. Lieutenant, clear a path to the infirmary."
"Sorry sir," the Lieutenant said. He moved out into the hall. "Make a hole! Clear out now."
Colonel O'Neill followed him silently.
~~~
"Colonel? Colonel O'Neill? Jack, would you pay attention?" General Hammond raised his voice.
"Sorry, sir. Where were we?"
"You were about to tell me what happened after Teal'c and Doctor Jackson returned through the Stargate."
Colonel O'Neill shifted uncomfortably in his chair and stared at the wall behind General Hammond. "I withdrew from contact with the Jaffa I'd engaged to allow Daniel and Teal'c to get through the gate. They attempted to follow me, but I was able to eventually elude them. Once I was certain they were not following me, I worked my way back to where Carter and I had been prior to Teal'c's call for help. I then searched the path we'd taken to try to get back to the Stargate as quickly as possible. It wasn't long before I noticed that Carter's footprints indicated a problem with her leg. She was dragging her left foot. A little further on, I found her unconscious. Upon inspecting her, I noted the leg wound and a second wound to her face. I carried her to a spot near the Stargate and happened to overhear the plans for guarding the gate. There were going to be six Jaffa. I knew that trying to take six by myself wasn't a good bet, so I woke Carter up using an ammonia capsule. I explained to her what I wanted to do. She agreed it was our best chance and then we proceeded to implement my plan. It worked. The Jaffa died. We dialed home. Here we are."
"Thank you, Colonel."
"Sir, I'd like to submit Carter for a Bronze Star. I'll have a full write- up ready for you by tomorrow."
"I'm sorry Colonel, but that won't be possible."
"But sir, she deserves it."
"I'm sure she does, but I don't think she can receive both a Bronze Star and a Silver Star for the same action." The general smiled. "Both you and Major Carter will be submitted for the awards before the day is over and I can pretty well guarantee that the President himself will sign off on them. Is there anything else, Colonel?"
"No, sir."
"Very well. Get out of here and, Colonel, take a shower.?"
"Yes, sir." O'Neill got up and left the general's office.
~~~
A freshly scrubbed Colonel O'Neill arrived at the infirmary to be immediately stopped by Doctor Fraiser. She sniffed the air a couple of times. "That's definitely an improvement." She smiled broadly.
"How are they?" He asked absently as his eyes scanned the room and located his team.
Doctor Fraiser led him to Teal'c's bed. "Since going into kel'noreem, Teal'c is improving at an amazing rate, thanks to Junior."
She moved two beds down to stand beside Daniel Jackson. "Daniel will be okay, but it will probably be at least a month, possibly longer before he's fit for duty. The abdominal muscles are used in so many activities that it will be hard for him to heal any more quickly than that."
Finally, she led him to Major Carter. "Major Carter will be up and around in a week or two, but she'll limp for a while. That's really going to be the easy part. Unfortunately, she's going to have some permanent scarring on the right side of her face. Her mouth and eye are basically undamaged. She's very lucky that the blast merely skimmed her and didn't hit solidly. If it had, she wouldn't be with us." Doctor Fraiser pulled Colonel O'Neill away from the bed and into her office.
"Colonel. I'm confident that she'll recover physically from these wounds in a pretty short time. When dealing with permanent scarring like she's going to have, it's never easy. It's very much a test of her strength to deal with it. She's going to need the support of everyone who's close to her. Our people used to all stare at her with awe when she'd walk by. Now, though." She trailed off, not finishing the sentence.
Colonel O'Neill closed his eyes and leaned back against the wall, a pained expression on his face. A moment later, he opened his eyes, face once again impassive and stood up straight. "Thank you, doctor."
~~~
Cheyenne Mountain, Earth - one month later
SG-1 and at least one member from every other SG team were gathered in the conference room. They were here to discuss P4X369. The meeting had been put off until Doctor Fraiser had cleared all members of SG-1 for duty. There was a constant low-level murmuring as the men and women discussed things and told the occasional joke while awaiting the start of the meeting. General Hammond began to speak and the room quieted immediately.
"We're here to discuss the problem of the new technology we identified on P4X369 and the threat it poses to our security and that of numerous other cultures. The technology appears to be a field generator of some sort. The field creates the illusion that fabricated structures are actually just part of the normal surrounding environment. That means we could walk past an entire installation and never know it was there. It also appears to dampen any signals that might otherwise leak out to indicate a greater presence than originally detected on a survey, such as happened when SG-1 went to investigate the planet. Apparently it was intentional that a small part of the installation was left visible to the casual observer. However, I have no reason to doubt that it can completely hide things as well as partially hiding them. I shouldn't need to stress how much this could affect our operations. Our teams could be ambushed anytime or anywhere if this technology gets into the hands of one of the major System Lords." He paused to let his words sink in.
"Major Carter, you've done some theorization in the lab regarding this technology. Do you have anything you'd like to contribute regarding the camouflage generator?"
Major Carter glanced up at General Hammond, her chin resting in the palm of her right hand, the fingers cupping the side of her face. "No, sir. I'll write it up for everyone."
The general looked surprised for a moment, then continued. "Very well, please make copies of your hypotheses and see that each team gets one after the meeting. Moving on." The general began discussing possible strategies for getting through the guarded Stargate with as little loss of life as possible.
Colonel O'Neill sat directly on Carter's left side. He stared at her, not believing he'd seen and heard her correctly. He noticed her looking at him for a moment, before her eyes returned to the wall behind the general. She had to have seen him staring at her. Whatever was going on in her head, it was about time to put an end to it. She'd been this way ever since she was able to get up and around. She avoided meetings, practically refused to work one-on-one with anyone and now was unwilling to share her knowledge and experience with others.
When asked to do so, Teal'c, Daniel and Colonel O'Neill each gave their impressions of what they'd seen and how heavily they thought the gate would be defended. All the while, Carter simply sat unmoving with her elbow on the table and her chin resting in the palm of her hand. Finally, after nearly two hours, the meeting adjourned.
As soon as the general dismissed the meeting, Carter rose to leave.
"Major Carter?" O'Neill called out. "A moment, please."
She nodded and moved back into the room, leaning her right shoulder against the wall and letting the others file past her.
"Teal'c?" O'Neill waved him over, then quietly spoke to him. "As soon as everyone else is out of the room, lock the door and pull it closed behind you. Don't allow anyone within ten feet of the door, yourself included. If someone tries to get closer, zat them."
"I have no zat with me."
"I have that covered." O'Neill opened a bag he'd brought to the meeting and handed the Jaffa the weapon.
Teal'c followed the last of the SG team members out of the conference room. He locked the door and pulled it shut behind him.
O'Neill walked over to the security camera and disconnected the feed. He then moved over to the conference table and pulled the cord out of the microphone.
"What are you doing sir?"
"Something I should have done a week ago, maybe longer. We're going to have a discussion."
"About what, sir?" She stared at the wall ahead of her, not looking at him.
"Carter, look at me when I'm talking to you."
She focused her eyes on him without moving.
"No, Carter, don't move your eyes to look at me. I mean turn and face me. Now."
She hesitated, her jaw clenching and unclenching. "Sir, I don't see what that has to do with anything you'd want to talk about."
"Obviously you're faculties have become impaired since your injury. Now, face me. That's an order."
She turned to face him, the anger clear on her face, both the unblemished side and the side that was scarred so badly.
"That's better. Now, was that so hard?"
"Sir, what's the point of this?"
"The point is, Carter that you're allowing the injury you suffered to prevent you from doing your job. Sure, your face isn't the same as it was before the injury. That doesn't mean you can't or shouldn't do your job. It also doesn't mean people won't pay attention to you. You're still you. Everyone knows that."
"You don't understand, sir. They stare at me. I can't shake the feeling that they're not looking at me or listening to me. They're only looking at the scars."
O'Neill walked toward her and took her by the shoulders. "The scars are part of you. They are a part of who you are, but only a part. They don't define the whole."
Carter's eyes began to fill with tears. "I know that, sir. It's just that.I feel like the circus freak that everyone stares at, the one that scares the children when they look at it."
O'Neill raised his left hand and cupped the scarred side of her face. "Just because this is different than it used to be doesn't mean it's not you. When I look at you, I see the same idealistic Captain who threatened to arm wrestle me to get on the team. I see the same person I refused to leave behind in that mothership when we were separated by a force field. For me, nothing has changed. You're still the same Samantha Carter. You need to see that. You need to believe that, to believe in yourself."
Carter looked up at him and smiled, then began to cry. O'Neill held her as she did so, waiting for her to finally relax and stop shaking. After a few minutes, she did and looked up at him.
"Thank you, sir." She stepped back and wiped the last of the tears from her face, then noticed the damp spot on the front of his uniform. "I'm sorry about that."
"Think nothing of it, Major." He gave her his most charming smile.
She smiled back just as the sound of a zat came from out in the hall.
"Uh-oh," the quiet words came from Colonel O'Neill.
"Uh-oh, sir? What does that mean?"
He explained about Teal'c, the zat and his order regarding anyone approaching the conference room.
Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter stepped out into the hall to find Sergeant Siler on the ground trying to get his bearings.
"Teal'c what did you shoot Siler for?"
"Your instructions were very clear, O'Neill. Shoot anyone who comes within ten feet of the door. I attempted to dissuade Sergeant Siler, but he insisted that the camera and microphone in the conference room had suffered damage and that he had to fix them. When he refused to comply with my request that he wait until later, I indicated my willingness to disable him. Quite apparently, he did not believe me."
"Quite apparently. Siler, you'll find that the camera and microphone have been disconnected. When you're able to get up, feel free to reconnect them. Teal'c, thanks for your assistance."
The Jaffa inclined his head in acknowledgement. "If my services are no longer required, I will retire to my quarters." He handed the zat to Colonel O'Neill and walked away.
Carter looked at O'Neill. "What now, sir?"
"I was thinking dinner in the mess hall. I'm buying."
"But sir, it's free."
"Okay, so Uncle Sam's buying." He shrugged. "Come on. I hear they have green Jello."
They ate dinner with sporadic, but comfortable conversation. When they were leaving the mess hall, Carter stopped O'Neill. "Sir, I really appreciate you taking the time to try to help me when I was behaving so poorly toward everyone."
"Hey, what's an OIC for, if not to apply the boot to the backside from time to time? I take it this means you're willing to try coming back and being an integral part of the team again?"
"Yes, sir. I'd like that."
"Good to have you back, Carter. Daniel was beginning to convince me that the real you had been abducted by aliens." He saw the smile cross her face and was glad to see her sense of humor had improved as well. "See you tomorrow."
"Good night, sir." She headed back to her quarters, smiling as she walked, oblivious to all those around her.
~~~
Asgard Vessel, Earth Orbit
Two gray-skinned Asgard stood silently on the bridge of their ship, observing the last remarks between Carter and O'Neill.
Thor looked at Heimdall for a while then spoke. "Having listened to the entire interplay between Carter and O'Neill, do you believe that this qualifies as the change you were waiting for?"
"Indeed it does. She had to come to this realization. If we'd have interfered, it could have created worse problems. Now we know that she can feel secure in the person she is, not just what she looks like. She also knows this. That is the key to her recovery."
"Very well, when she has fallen asleep, we will bring her here and you can repair her injuries. It would have been much more expedient to simply repair them immediately."
They'd been over this before, many times. "Yes, but they are not like us. They do not think like us or react like us. By doing so, we could have had a detrimental effect. By waiting, we know she will have no self doubt."
"They are a young race, Heimdall, and I do not always understand them."
"They are indeed young, but they have much potential."
The two Asgard sat in silence for nearly three hours before there was a beep at Heimdall's console.
"Sensors indicate that she has fallen asleep."
~~~
Cheyenne Mountain, Earth
Major Carter awoke, feeling relieved. She was ready to face the world again. But first, she needed a shower.
She didn't bother to turn on any lights in her quarters, just walked to the bathroom and flipped the switch to turn on the light and the vent fan before shutting the door. She showered and washed her hair, dried off and went back into her living area to get dressed.
She flipped on the light and went to the closet to grab her clothes. She quickly threw on her BDUs and then moved to the vanity to comb her hair. She was in the process of getting a tangle out of the hair on the right side of her head behind her ear when she realized that there wasn't normally hair there to untangle. At least not recently. She looked in the mirror and her mouth dropped open. She cautiously put a hand up to her face and felt it. All that was there was smooth skin. Her earlobe was back, too.
She picked up the phone and dialed Colonel O'Neill's number. She began speaking as soon as she heard the receiver picked up. "Sir, you have to see this. It's incredible."
A groggy O'Neill replied, "what's that?"
"Sir come to my quarters. You've got to see this to believe it."
"Okay, I'll be there in a few minutes." He hung up the phone.
Ten minutes later, O'Neill knocked on Carter's door.
She opened it and let him in. "Well, what do you think?" She smiled broadly at him.
"What do you mean, what do I think? About what?"
She smiled a more satisfied smile as she realized he'd told her the truth when he'd told her how he saw her. He didn't notice the injury when he looked at her, so he didn't notice its absence now. She pointed at her hair. "What do you think?"
O'Neill couldn't believe that she'd gotten him up at 0530 to look at her hair. Then it dawned on him. Since the injury, the hair on that side of her head had been very stunted by burns. He gave her a big grin. "Carter, what's happened to you?"
"Well, sir, I think I was abducted by aliens."
He walked forward and put his left hand to her cheek and gently ran his thumb across it. She leaned into it. Their eyes locked and they stood there for half a minute before they were interrupted.
"Unscheduled offworld activation." The voice echoed through the complex.
The moment broken, they both headed out the door at a run.
~~~
What do you think? Please review and let me know. - Chapter 2 is in development.