Chapter 18: Well, that went well
"Well, that went well," Jack remarked with bitter sarcasm as soon as he was calm enough not to kill something. "WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?"
"We had our orders…" this one was a Lieutenant-General. "And they came from the top…"
"So did mine, General," Major-General Hammond informed him. "Mine came from the President. Standing orders regarding the rights of humans in this base. One of which is that kidnapping them is a crime."
"And what she did to your people is not a crime?"
"She didn't hurt us, sir," Seargent Siler said. "She could have."
"And she collapsed afterwards," Carter said. "Whatever she did, she's exhausted."
"Worm-hole established, sir," Lieutenant Simmons had somehow managed to keep working with the brass arguing behind him. "With your permission…"
"Rescue team, you're clear to go." SG-7 moved out at top speed.
"What are their orders?" General Hamilton asked.
"To find Doctor Jackson and Varielle Mizabwe and bring them back peacefully if they can. They only defend themselves if fired upon first."
"What if she attacks them or renders them…"
"Sir, we're getting a transmission."
"Sir, this is Major Hernandez. There's no trace of Doctor Jackson or the alien. From the tracks he just dialled straight out again. We've got no way to know where." Sighs and muttered curses echoed for a moment.
"He's trying to keep her safe," Carter said. "He probably thinks it's the Tollan all over again."
"And he's right," Hammond said. "She told me that when she got home she would tell her people about us. I asked her if it would be a favourable report. She said she would tell the truth, and not withhold information. Your illegal and unethical actions may have just lost us a valuable alliance, General."
"Not to mention pissing off an entire race," O'Neill added. "Mine, for starters…"
"Colonel," Hammond brought him to silence. "Where would Doctor Jackson take her?"
"Well, if she's ill or exhausted, they can't just camp out in those clothes and without anything to eat or drink," Carter said. "He knows more Stargate addresses than anyone else on the base, but he'd still need to go somewhere warm with food and water and no Goa'uld or Jaffa. That narrows it down a lot. I can get on the computer, put together a list of possible places to hide…"
"If Varielle Mizabwe is awake she may be able to give him a new location," Teal'c said. "Her people found several other Stargates they could reach, and she never said where they were. It is possible she would suggest one as a safe location."
"Perhaps her people have an off-world base," Siler said. "Like our Alpha Site."
"Make that list, Major," Hammond said brusquely. "Colonel, please reset all our codes. General…" A less dignified man would have grabbed Hamilton by the collar and towed him along like an unruly schoolboy. Hammond used force of personality alone. "You and I are going to talk. After I talk to the President. I don't think he'll be very happy."
Carter looked up at O'Neill. "You think Daniel's alright?"
"I don't think she's in any state to manipulate him," Jack said.
"You think she coerced him into helping her? Sir, you know Daniel as well as I do. He'd have helped her because it was right."
"Yeah." He sighed. "I hope he's alright. I hope he's got the sense to call home. He's got no GDO."
"He'll think of something. There's the new Alpha Site, the Tok'ra, the Tollan…"
"He should be fine," Jack's stomach tightened. "We hope."
"Well, that went well," Jack remarked with bitter sarcasm as soon as he was calm enough not to kill something. "WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?"
"We had our orders…" this one was a Lieutenant-General. "And they came from the top…"
"So did mine, General," Major-General Hammond informed him. "Mine came from the President. Standing orders regarding the rights of humans in this base. One of which is that kidnapping them is a crime."
"And what she did to your people is not a crime?"
"She didn't hurt us, sir," Seargent Siler said. "She could have."
"And she collapsed afterwards," Carter said. "Whatever she did, she's exhausted."
"Worm-hole established, sir," Lieutenant Simmons had somehow managed to keep working with the brass arguing behind him. "With your permission…"
"Rescue team, you're clear to go." SG-7 moved out at top speed.
"What are their orders?" General Hamilton asked.
"To find Doctor Jackson and Varielle Mizabwe and bring them back peacefully if they can. They only defend themselves if fired upon first."
"What if she attacks them or renders them…"
"Sir, we're getting a transmission."
"Sir, this is Major Hernandez. There's no trace of Doctor Jackson or the alien. From the tracks he just dialled straight out again. We've got no way to know where." Sighs and muttered curses echoed for a moment.
"He's trying to keep her safe," Carter said. "He probably thinks it's the Tollan all over again."
"And he's right," Hammond said. "She told me that when she got home she would tell her people about us. I asked her if it would be a favourable report. She said she would tell the truth, and not withhold information. Your illegal and unethical actions may have just lost us a valuable alliance, General."
"Not to mention pissing off an entire race," O'Neill added. "Mine, for starters…"
"Colonel," Hammond brought him to silence. "Where would Doctor Jackson take her?"
"Well, if she's ill or exhausted, they can't just camp out in those clothes and without anything to eat or drink," Carter said. "He knows more Stargate addresses than anyone else on the base, but he'd still need to go somewhere warm with food and water and no Goa'uld or Jaffa. That narrows it down a lot. I can get on the computer, put together a list of possible places to hide…"
"If Varielle Mizabwe is awake she may be able to give him a new location," Teal'c said. "Her people found several other Stargates they could reach, and she never said where they were. It is possible she would suggest one as a safe location."
"Perhaps her people have an off-world base," Siler said. "Like our Alpha Site."
"Make that list, Major," Hammond said brusquely. "Colonel, please reset all our codes. General…" A less dignified man would have grabbed Hamilton by the collar and towed him along like an unruly schoolboy. Hammond used force of personality alone. "You and I are going to talk. After I talk to the President. I don't think he'll be very happy."
Carter looked up at O'Neill. "You think Daniel's alright?"
"I don't think she's in any state to manipulate him," Jack said.
"You think she coerced him into helping her? Sir, you know Daniel as well as I do. He'd have helped her because it was right."
"Yeah." He sighed. "I hope he's alright. I hope he's got the sense to call home. He's got no GDO."
"He'll think of something. There's the new Alpha Site, the Tok'ra, the Tollan…"
"He should be fine," Jack's stomach tightened. "We hope."