Chapter Nineteen
NID Headquarters
Colonel Stephen Mitchell – head of the NID – sat quietly in his office thinking about a plan that two of his agents had just presented to him. A plan to take advantage of an opportunity to acquire some of the advanced Federation technology that had suddenly presented itself. Just over seven hours ago the Resolution had left orbit of Tollana for some unknown reason – where she had gone and how long she would be away was anybodies guess. But she had not left Tollana unguarded. Five of her attack fighters and six large shuttles – all of them well armed – had been left behind to protect Tollana in her absence. And while the weapons on the fighters and shuttles were no doubt less powerful than those of the Resolution herself they were still perfectly capable of seriously hurting or destroying a Goa'uld mothership even the more advanced ones fielded by the new Goa'uld on the block Anubis.
His agents were suggesting that the NID take advantage of the Resolutions absence to acquire some technology from one of the ships she'd left behind. The ships were on the ground most of the time and getting access to one would not be that difficult given what they'd accomplished in the last couple of weeks. Over the last few weeks NID agents mixed in with the relief teams going back and forth between the SGC and Tollana had been successfully smuggling back numerous pieces of Tollan technology scavenged from the wreckage of the capital city Tosal. Mostly it was small things hand weapon, personal phase shift devices and a few of the Tollan weapons disablers removed intact from the wreckage of the Curia offices and other government facilities.
But so far getting at the powerful Federation technology had been beyond them. Captain Parker was apparently no fool. None of the relief teams were being allowed to go on board the Resolution unless there was an accident and they got hurt and when that did happen – as it had once or twice – the injured were transported straight to the Resolutions medical bay treated and then transported back down. So far the only Tau'ri who had really been aboard her had been SG-1 and the two who were currently on board i.e. Sarah Gardner freshly liberated from Osiris and Dr Daniel Jackson of SG-1 who was there helping with her recovery. It was a very frustrating situation for the NID.
Reading through the plan his agents had submitted to him Mitchell smiled. The plan was simple and stood a very good chance of success. Removing a secure telephone from a hidden panel in his desk he called his contact at the SGC and gave the agents stationed there the go ahead. Then returning the telephone to its hidden panel he put the request away and turned to his next piece of paper work.
USS Resolution
At the same time that Colonel Mitchell was reading the plan submitted by his agents Dr Daniel Jackson was walking down the corridors of the Resolution towards sickbay and his team mates. Captain Parker had asked him to retrieve them and bring them to the conference room behind the bridge. The talks with Lord Yu and chaired/refereed by Commander Freyer were due to begin in the morning and Darien wanted their input on how to negotiate with Goa'uld before he went down there and faced Yu himself. Since SG-1 had negotiated with the Goa'uld and with Lord Yu in particular in the past it was a sensible precaution to take – though Daniel doubted that Darien would put up with any of the Goa'uld's 'I am superior to you' nonsense if Yu tried it. He was only entering these talks to avoid more Goa'uld and Jaffa pointlessly attacking this ship and getting killed when the Resolutions vastly superior weapons returned fire and promptly turned the attacking mothership into a cloud of plasma and metallic confetti. And Daniel suspected that Yu knew it too.
Daniel reached sickbay at that moment. Darien had called ahead and alerted Dr Tarses so when Daniel entered he found SG-1 – with Lieutenant Hailey – waiting for him.
"Daniel where the hell have you been," Jack asked giving his friend a welcoming hug. He had missed the archaeologist terribly while he'd been away here on this ship.
"Hello Jack," Daniel replied warmly he'd missed his friend too. "You know perfectly well where I've been," he jovially retorted. Jack laughed as he pulled back and allowed Sam to move in and give Daniel a welcoming hug herself though she didn't speak. Teal'c for his part inclined his head slightly and smiled briefly.
"It is good to see you again Daniel Jackson," the big Jaffa rebel said.
"It's good to see you again too Teal'c," Daniel replied. "Captain Parker wants to see the lot of us in the conference room he's asked me to bring you there."
"What for?" Jack asked.
"He wants some advice. Lord Yu has proposed a non-aggression treaty between the Federation and the System Lords. The Asgard have also agreed to the idea of a treaty between the System Lords and the Federation, Freyer will be mediating the talks. Since we've dealt with Lord Yu before Darien wants our input," Daniel replied. It didn't escape his teammates notice the casual way that Daniel used Captain Parkers first name.
"You've become friends with him," Jack asked.
"I like to think so. He's not my closest friend on this ship surprisingly that's Commander Beech but we have become friends. When not on duty he's quiet a fun guy. On duty of course he's mister serious."
"I can believe it. We should get cracking to the conference room then wouldn't want to keep the good captain waiting." Rolling his eyes at the faint hint of sarcasm in Jack's voice Daniel gestured to the door.
"This way." Daniel left sickbay and the rest of SG-1 followed him through the corridors of the ship to there meeting with Captain Parker.
Tollana
The two NID operatives watched from the shadows as the three man – beings anyway since only two of them were Human the other being a furry alien similar in appearance to a bear - crew of a freshly landed Federation attack fighter left there craft and moved over to the portacabin where they could eat and drink. While the Resolution was away the fighter and shuttle crews were eating with the SGC personnel in tern. One fighter or shuttle would land the crew of up to four would leave then return about forty minutes later to go back up.
Reconstruction of the Tollan capital was proceeding swiftly now with Tollan nanotechnology repairing those buildings that could be salvaged and constructing new ones out of the wreckage of the old with ever increasing speed and efficiency. As soon as the fighters crew were out of sight the first operative took a cautious look around.
"Looks like the coast is clear," the operative said to his companion.
"It had better be," the second operative replied.
Quickly the two operatives moved over to where the fighter was sitting idle not to far from the Stargate. After taking another cautious look around one operative produced a scavenged Tollan phase shift device from his pocket and put it on.
"Keep watch," he told his fellow operative as he activated the device. The second operative nodded.
Taking a deep breath the first operative turned to face the fighter and cautiously walked through the hull. For a second the operative saw nothing but metal and unintelligible circuits and conduits that ran through the space between the outer armoured hull and the inside of the fighter. Then he was through the hull and inside the fighter's front compartment.
There were three stations arranged in a triangular pattern. One at the front below the view ports, two more towards the back facing the front with side displays in the bulkheads. All the displays were currently dark and inactive. The fighter crew had carefully powered down and secured the fighters systems before leaving. An equipment locker was visible on the wall along with what was probably a tool or medical kit. After a moments thought the operative turned off the phase distortion field and moved over to the equipment locker.
After a moment he figured out how to get it open. Inside were three phasers, three tricorders, what were probably spare power packs for the phasers, and a number of grenade-like objects. Without hesitation he picked up one of each time. And after a moments second thought picked up two more of the grenades. He was putting them in hidden pockets in his jacket when he dropped the power cell. It hit the deck and rolled away. Swearing quietly the operative looked around for the missing power cell. He couldn't find it in the darkened bridge. Swearing even louder he picked up a replacement and closed the cabinet. After carefully hiding the power cell as well the operative reactivate the phase shift device and walked back out of the fighter.
As soon as he was clear of the fighter he smiled at his colleague and showed thumps up. Mission accomplished. After the operative deactivated the phase distortion field again and one more hid the device in his pocket the two operatives walked casually away from the fighter.
The fighter crew led by Lieutenant Pauline Risco returned barely thirty five minutes later.
"I'll be glad when the Resolution gets back," Ensign Derrick White complained. "Eating the food they serve in that canteen is like eating plastic. At least the replicators back on the ship produce decent food. I'll also be glad to see Peter, Tark and Shirr again if there alright."
"I'm sure they will be," Pauline replied. "But if there dead you can bet that the captain is going to give the Goa'uld that killed them absolute hell."
"Yeah hell in the form of a phaser blast or transphasic torpedo in the backside," Derrick replied. All three officers laughed.
They reached the side of the fighter – the Spear – at that moment. Powering open the door the three officers entered and went to the small bridge. As soon as the door to the bridge opened Ensign Ta'kaya paused as his sensitive Vordashi nose picked up an unfamiliar Human scent.
"What is it," Pauline asked noting his reaction.
"There's another Human scent here not yours or Derrick's. Fresh. Someone's been in here."
"What in the last forty minutes," Pauline asked.
"This scent wasn't here earlier so I assume so."
"But how would anyone get in," Derrick asked. "The hatch controls hadn't been tampered with we would have noticed immediately. And no ones burned a hole in the hull. Hell the hull of this things made of duranium composite. Even if they used a phaser it would take them an hour to burn through the hull."
"The Tollan could probably get in with that phase shift technology of theirs," Pauline pointed out. "They would be able to walk through the hull as if it weren't there. But why would one of them come in here?"
"I don't know," Ta'kaya replied.
"Look around see if anything is missing," Pauline ordered.
Derrick and Ta'kaya hurried to do what they were told. As soon as Derrick opened the weapons cabinet they found there answer to the question if anything was missing. One phaser, two spare power packs, a tricorder and three photon grenades were gone. Shock immobilised all three of them for a second as they realised that they had been robbed.
"What do we do now," Derrick asked.
"We need to get that equipment back," Pauline replied. "No ones gone through the Stargate in over an hour so the equipment is probably still here in the city. If we scan the city from the air looking for the energy signature of Federation power cells we should find it in no time." Derrick and Ta'kaya nodded in agreement not that it matter as the senior officer present and being the pilot/commander of the Spear Pauline's opinion was all that counted. They hurried to the stations.
After powering up Pauline engaged the atmospheric thrusters and took the Spear straight up until they could see the whole of Tosal spread out below them. She then brought the Spear to a dead stop.
"Okay Derrick scan the city," she ordered.
"On it." Derrick ran his hands over the sensor controls on the tactical panel in front of him scanning the city carefully with the Spears sensors. After a moment he found the power signatures he was looking for near to the Stargate along with half a dozen Human life signs. "I've found them there by the Stargate along with a dozen life signs."
His readings abruptly changed as with a burst of energy the Stargate came to life. The life signs vanished through as did the power signatures.
"Damn the Stargate just activated. The life signs have gone through so have the power sources."
"So its not the Tollan who've taken our technology but the SGC personnel," Pauline mused before her console chimed for attention. The planetary control room was hailing them, she put it through. A side screen came on showing a puzzled looking Narim.
"Do you mind telling me what you are doing scanning the city lieutenant," Narim asked. Taking a deep breath Pauline explained the situation. Narim looked shocked.
"Are you sure about this," he asked mental alarm bells ringing. This situation had an eerie sense of what the Tau'ri called déjà vu to it.
"A group of Humans just went through the Stargate and the power signatures went with them. No other conclusion can be logically drawn. Much as I don't want to admit it someone among the SGC personal have stolen some of our technology including some of our weapons."
"Some of your weapons?"
"Yes. One phaser and three photon grenades."
"This is an extremely serious situation," Narim replied. "The Tau'ri are our friends and allies and they have been honourable. I cannot believe that they would do this. What do you wish to do?"
"We need to contact the Resolution and advise Captain Parker of what has happened. The decision about what to do should be his. He won't take this lightly. Theft of Federation property is taken extremely seriously."
"Given the level of your technology I would imagine that it would be. Our own subspace communications arrays have been repaired. We could relay a transmission to the Resolution for you."
"That would be very kind thank you."
"It is no trouble. If you link your subspace comm system with ours you can send a message immediately." Pauline made the adjustments on her own station.
"Done."
"Very well. I will clear this transmission now then you can hail the Resolution."
"Thank you Narim."
"After all your people have done for us lieutenant helping you now is no trouble. If the High Chancellor were here not in a meeting she would say the same." Narim then broke the channel. Without hesitation Pauline opened hailing frequencies.
"This is the attack fighter Spear to the USS Resolution respond please. Repeat this is the attack fighter Spear to the USS Resolution respond please."
Almost immediately the face of Commander Urlet appeared on the screen previous occupied by Narim.
"Yes lieutenant what is it?" the Andorian woman asked.
"Sir we've got a very serious problem." A look of concern appeared on the Andorians face. Before Urlet could ask what the problem was Pauline spoke. "Some of our technology has been stolen."
"What!" Urlet said. "What exactly has been stolen?"
"One phaser, power packs, photon grenades and a tricorder. They were taken from this ship when we were away having lunch."
"How you should have secured the fighter?"
"Yes commander when we left the fighter was in secure lockdown. There's no sign of any tampering with the hatch controls or forced entry. I don't know how the thief got in. We only knew we'd been robbed when Ensign Ta'kaya's nose picked up a scent that didn't belong to me or Ensign White. But I believe that the thief was one of the SGC personnel."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes sir." Pauline explained about the energy signatures and the way they'd vanished with the dozen Human life signs when the Stargate had been activated. When she finished Commander Urlet did not look happy at all.
"I will alert Captain Parker. We will deal with this betrayal. You've done the right thing informing me immediately lieutenant. But all three of you can expect a thorough debriefing by Lieutenant Commander Beech upon our return to Tollana."
"We understand sir," Pauline replied outwardly calm but inwardly flinching. Where matters of security were concerned Commander Beech could be very thorough indeed. Facing Chris Beech in interrogation mode was normally something every member of the Resolutions crew avoided as much as possible.
"Return to your scheduled patrol lieutenant. We will speak about this again. Resolution out." Urlet disappeared from the screen.
"Oh dear we are so going to get a grilling when Chris Beech gets a hold of us," Derrick said wincing.
"That we are," Ta'kaya agreed. "Though it could be worse?"
"Oh?"
"It could be Captain Parker conducting the debrief." With that cheery thought in mind Pauline engaged the atmosphere thrusters again and sent the Spear space wards.