Title: Tactical Combat
Chapter: One
Summary: Samantha Carter is called to the SGC on her day off for unspecified reasons. Why is the base deserted when she gets there? When a hand written note from General O'Neill tells her to report to the commissary, she knows something is up. As she launches a 'rescue' attempt, she also exposes something Jack never affiliated with her.
Author/ Fic Notes: A Prequel to another fic, which is, still a work in progress, but it will be there soon! I was in a particularly 'irritated' mood, and couldn't to find any Sam combat fics, or analysis of firearms used in the SGC, so I thought, I'd take a go at writing my own…so if it seems I was annoyed while I was writing…. I was.
The weapons mainly focused on here are: Kimber Custom Target TSO II (which doesn't exist, officially, but think of a Custom TLE but better.) and the Beretta M9, 96 and 92 SF 9mm. They were accurate at the time of writing and my sources, otherwise, I have no idea.
By the way, this fic has the 'ideal' bunch, that is; Jacob and Janet are around. This will probably be my one fic with minimal (if any) Sam/Jack in it. However… you know me…can't stay away from the SJ… so I think a confrontation might be warranted, you never know…there's always chapter 2.
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"It had better not be the tech guys again…I just got kicked off base by the General for helping them out on 'one last thing' on my day off...again." Lieutenant Colonel Samantha Carter grumbled, finally locating her cell phone, which had been lodged in her Volvo's engine.
"Carter,"
"There's a situation at the SGC, ma'am." The person spoke, slightly panicky, "Something has happened to all the personnel on base,"
Sam's blood chilled. "What's is it?"
"I'm sorry, I can't discuss it over the phone,"
"I'm of the 2IC's, and you call me because 'something has happened to the personnel on the base'. Don't tell me you can't discuss this over the phone!" She barked into the phone, automatically switching to dangerous Colonel-mode, something she'd gleaned from her predecessor, O'Neill.
"Sorry ma'am. It's the um…gray tunnel, it just opened…people aren't uh…around anymore," The person stuttered.
"I'll be right there." Carter said, recognizing the code for a Gate Activation and assault, and that there personnel were missing. She looked at her car—half the engine was intact, the other half was strewn across the floor…maybe she should take the bike out instead.
She ran inside to hastily change out of her oil-smudged clothes into jeans, standard black tank top, and grabbed her leather jacket and gun. She almost twisted her ankle running with her boots half on, almost vaulting onto her bike. Ten seconds later, nothing but skid marks were left in the driveway.
Her drive was tense, and she couldn't shake the feeling something was up. Upon her arrival, things had, indeed been odd, and she had drawn her Kimber Custom Target TSO II. Surprising the guards at the first checkpoint. When she saw the familiar face of the guard, she lowered it. The guard had lowered the tip of his rifle, and allowed her to pass.
Relieved, Carter reholstered her weapon to her waist. She'd gotten it shortly after her first year at the SGC, finally fed up with the old unreliable Beretta's M9 issues the SGC had been carrying then, the ones with the cracked alloys and faulty slides. It might have been a psychological thing, but this gun made her feel safe and it meant a lot to her.
She'd customized the trigger, grips— everything. The ammunition she chose was top line and expensive, although sometimes she wondered why she bothered since she was really wasting her money on shooting things that wanted to kill her.
Still, it was a piece of technology that Sam had put her life on several times. Better than anything the Goa'uld would come up with. Though no one knew, it always went off world with her, and had been used several times to save SG1's butts and there were times where it barely left her side.
At the last security checkpoint, the only people there were some slightly jittery young SF's. They hastily checked her ID, and gave her a message. The message detailed that things had gone bad, and that she shouldn't go to the Gate or Control room, instead, she should head to the Commissary, of all places.
It was in General O'Neill's writing. This was bad.
The colonel made her way to the elevator carefully. While waiting, she unholstered her weapon again, planning to check the car first. The doors opened, she did her sweep. Satisfied, she punched the button that had Daniel's coffee stains on it.
Upon riding down to the right level, Carter got a slightly jittery feeling. She hoped to Thor that the elevator car didn't jolt to a stop like in a movie. If the lights flicker even just once…. Her senses were on high alert, and she was ready for anything.
Already, from what she had seen, her training told her that something very out of place had happened. She stayed in the shadows, staying silent and unseen to an invisible and deceptive enemy. Her Kimber always at the ready. The whole thing struck her as rather odd.
First, the hallways were completely deserted…no bodies, no personnel, no klaxons. They were clear and free of any traces that any struggle had taken place. Had Ba'al systematically beamed everyone up? But then why the Stargate activation? Or was it maybe the Asgard?
Second, there was the rather cryptic message from the General detailing that upon her arrival, she was to report straight to the commissary. And it was in his handwriting.
Were the intruders after the base supply of Jell-O, coffee and pie or something? She scolded herself for momentarily loosing concentration, and made a mental note not to listen to General O'Neill so much.
The base was on emergency lighting and power, and her senses were giving weird signals, as she got closer to the commissary. The dim green lights casting weird effects on the usually already dank walls, making her shadow creep silently behind her. Sam could feel the presence of a symbiote. And not just one. Many.
She made it to outside the designated position without incident. Breathing quietly, she stealthily made her way into the commissary; the safety on her sidearm was already off. The cold metal of the gun felt cold, and she felt the extra magazines heavy on her belt. The colonel crept behind the door, and peeked through the looking panel on the door. It was completely dark inside, the lighting had been pulled; but something was afoot. Where were the tables?
She pressed her hip against the door, the magazines on her belt thudding softly as it contacted with the wooded door. Sam berated herself for the break in silence; that one mistake could have cost her life. The General would have been disappointed, he'd taught her better than that.
As she eased the door open, she was relieved that the door didn't creak like it usually did. She let her movements be contrary to the stiff, overly rigid stances that were often seen in films and even in green agents and soldiers. She allowed the private training O'Neill had given her take over. She moved without stiff swinging and angular movements, instead, she let her movements flow in practiced moves.
Her eyes gradually adjusted to the darkness, but the Colonel was still glad that there weren't any tables or chairs to bump into. Not that she'd seen anyway. It suddenly occurred to Carter that she might also need to be prepared for hand-to-hand combat, and not just her gun. She felt her finger tighten on the weapon at the thought, and hoped it wouldn't come to that.
Keeping her back close to the wall, Sam plotted to move to a less open location. She hadn't made it five paces, when she felt a body next to her. Without hesitation, she kneed them where she assumed would have been the groin of a human, or the head of anything smaller.
As her knee found its target, her victim moaned, so Sam decided it was a human. In the dark she could tell it was humanish, she quickly shoved her free hand hard against the windpipe, slamming the person's head into the wall in the process.
If it was a Tok'ra or Jaffa, she and any chance of salvaging an alliance were sooo dead…
Sam was about to deliver a kick to her downed victim, when she felt strong arms snake around her waist, dragging her away. As she felt her captors hands graze the skin where her shirt had ridden up, she felt a shiver. It was creepily familiar, but she couldn't place it.
Sam didn't have time for thinking as she struggled violently trying to shoot, but found she couldn't without risking shooting herself. She kicked him in the shin, and in return she felt the force around her ribs increase painfully.
As she tried more desperate measures to get free, her captor also decided to step up their defense. One arm was still around her ribs, but the other was starting to apply pressure to her throat, slowly, almost hesitantly. As he breathed down her neck, Carter could have sworn that she could place his familiar woodsy scent, and the slight stubble on its cheek as it brushed her temple. She gargled as the pressure on her windpipe increased, and she heard her captor mutter a deep, "Crap."
The grip on her throat loosened a little, and she could think and breathe again. So…he's a sympathetic chivalrous snakehead from Earth, who also happens to like woody aftershave? Is that it? She thought briefly, as the pressure grew again, this time more almost more carefully then before. She let out a gasp and gave her head a sudden thrust backwards.
Her head impacted with what seem to be cartilage and her captor hissed in pain, the arms holding her hostage loosened, and Carter took advantage of his distraction and flipped him. A second later, she was on top him, pinning them to the ground, her knee in their stomach, gun at his throat.
However, his hands were free and he deftly moved the gun away with a sweep of his hand. They struggled, and her captor starting to wriggle out of grasp. Carter knew it would only be a matter of time before her stronger opponent overpowered her.
So far, she'd been taking advantage of the fact that they didn't want to hurt her. But she still couldn't get a safe shot. So she was faced with the dilemma of whether or not to give up the gun, and take him out without it. Either way, she had to decide soon; her confidence was riding on adrenaline and that wouldn't last for long.
Thus far, the safety catch had remained off, and the gun hadn't gone off yet, but she felt fingers trying to pry the weapon from her fingers, and she tightened instinctively. The customized trigger caused a shot to be fired with less pressure applied than normal, hitting the concrete somewhere before she heard something moan in pain.
In the dark, Samantha Carter smiled grimly. Good, she'd hit someone. She hoped they die and rot in Netu.
Her opponent took advantage of her distraction and yanked their arms so that they were straight, and clicked the safety back on. While she was distracted trying to take it back off again, he'd ejected the magazine of the gun in one swift and practiced movement
Frustrated, she allowed the grip on one of her hands loosen momentarily. To her chagrin, she felt the top slide serrations drag under her hand as the slide was pulled back to eject unspent bullet still in the chamber.
The weapon was useless now, so they discarded the weapon in favor of hand-to-hand. Sam was trying her best to win, but her opponent didn't seem to be attacking with the same vigor, yet he was overpowering her. This only served to frustrate her further and she started to make mistakes.
Finally, she managed to backhand him in the face, but not before he tried to grab her hand, but caught her jaw with his elbow. She whimpered at the unexpected blow, and tried to sit up, kicking them somewhere to hopefully keep them down a while.
Apparently it worked, as she felt a sharp inhale and the body flop over her leg, and she violently kicked them again. When her head stopped spinning, she returned her attack to her opponent. This time, he seemed to let her get him.
The Colonel had her attacker pinned to the concrete floor, crouching over him, knee again firmly in the stomach and one hand on his throat, the other on his lips. She felt a vibration under her hand and his lips moving under her touch and then she heard the order in a very familiar voice, "Lights!"
As soon as she heard it, Sam automatically felt her hands relax. Her hands released her victim before her head told them to. They burnt from where they'd been touching his skin, and the knee that had been between his legs buckled, and she ended up in a very compromising position.
The adrenaline was fading, but embarrassment was coming on rapidly. Her hands seemed to recognize that voice before her ears did. However, if she was right…then she was in some very, very, very big trouble…
There was a scurry and sounds of a few collisions as previously silent people scrambled to find the light switch. Things were knocked over, but after liquid in a glass container was spilt, the room was swathed in light.
"Fer cryin' out Loud… gah!" Came the voice from underneath her, and she could feel his throat going up and down. "Aye…"
"Crap," Sam said suddenly looking very scared and tired.
She was on top of General Jack O'Neill, and they were in the middle of the commissary. If someone had told her that as going to happen an hour ago, she would have laughed. But she wasn't in the laughing mood now. Apparently, she wasn't really in control of her body anymore either, but she pushed up on either side of his head, and moved off of him.
It was then that Carter noticed the colorful bunting and banner, which read, "Happy Birthday!" She moved her body further away from his, strangely missing his heat. He rolled over onto his side, panting.
"Well I think the element of 'Surprise' worked a little too well," He gasped out, his voice slightly strangled. He pushed off from the ground, and sat up as well as he heard several snickers.
Ry'ac and Teal'c, looking rather amused, were supporting a very pained and weary looking Jacob. Daniel was leaning against a wall also breathing hard, Janet hovering over him in concern. Of course, the Spacemonkey had a hole in his arm, so he probably had a reason. Jack took a look at his 2IC, and decided it probably wasn't the best idea to rip her a new one in front of various representatives of earth. Thor and his little cute grayness was by Daniel, also assessing the damage.
Carter had no idea how to react, vaguely seeing her father looking battered.. This was so the end of her career. She was suddenly very scared. She definitely didn't see this as a little friendly combat between friends. This was assaulting a senior officer, provoked or not. She had tried to kill him, and her father who was another General. Court martial for a Lt. Colonel assaulting one General, let alone two, would not be looked upon kindly. And a Tok'ra General too…. Crap
Sam closed her eyes, this couldn't happen to her. It couldn't end like this, not now. Not after everything she'd worked for. "Sir, I'm really, really sorry…I,"
She was still slightly dazed from the blow to the head, and the room started to spin again, her eyes flickered back and she started to slip the floor. O'Neill caught her, and motioned to Teal'c, "Teal'c get her for me will you?"
The Jaffa nodded, a trace of a rather triumphant smile on his face. He bent and carefully picked up the conscious, but dazed Colonel Carter and carefully put her on a chair in the middle of her father and Daniel Jackson had been unceremoniously dropped.
Carter was too busy worrying about her demise to notice that Daniel had a hole in his arm, which Janet and Thor were trying to tend to. On her other side, her own father wasn't looking too comfortable either, a red line running across his throat from where his daughter had struck him.
The General, who was still on the ground at this point, accepted the hand that Bra'tac and Ry'ac extended, grinning embarrassedly. Once back at his full height, he addressed the rest of the people in the room to dismiss them, "Why don't you all go try the pie? We'll be done in a minute,"
People shuffled away, and it was clear what the crowds were buzzing about. Soon, only Bra'tac, Jacob, Janet and SG1 remained near the chairs. Nothing was said; no one knew exactly what to say, until Bra'tac spoke in amusement, "Colonel Carter, you are indeed a formidable warrior," He gave her a clap on the shoulder, bowed and stood back.
Teal'c bowed his head and tried to hide a smile, "Did I not tell you O'Neill? I told you Colonel Carter would not be taken by surprise,"
"Alright. Alright" Jack said rubbing his eyes with one hand, and holding his free hand up to stop more mocking from Teal'c. "Daniel, you go up to the Infirmary with the doc, but I want you two back here ASAP. Where I assume Thor will beam you up from to treat your arm?"
Daniel nodded with an embarrassed smile, a little shocked that Jack could tell from across the room but let Janet lead him out of the room. The two were followed by cheers, hoots and laughter from the personnel around the pie.
"That Daniel… always the center of attention," He said, turning his attention back to the remaining people in front of him and tried to lighten up the mood. "Well, Carter, you sure know how to bash up an old guy,"
"Sorry sir," Carter replied, in a completely professional tone. She was starting to come out of her daze, and her head was in her hands. She waited bravely for an onslaught of anger.
"I was referring to your father,"
Her eyes widened…she was not expecting that. She looked next to her, and took in the sight of her father in civvies, but looking rather disheveled. "Did I…?"
Jacob only nodded, and took his daughter's hand. Sam couldn't meet his eyes, and forced her eyes down to the ground, biting her lip. Hitting your own father, how low could you get.
Jacob and Selmak looked at the blonde woman next to them. She looked like she was about to cry, and as much as it was tempting to pretend they were mad, they were very proud of the way she'd fought. Even many Tok'ra didn't know how to fight hand-to-hand, as was the same thing with the Goa'uld. Jack must have caught on that he wanted to talk to his daughter, because he, Teal'c and Bra'tac politely stepped away.
"Sam, look at me, I know you think I'm mad," Jacob began softly, feeling his daughter stiffen, "But I'm not, really, In fact I'm proud of you,"
"But…"
"As far as I know, you were called in on the grounds that there had been an alien assault on the base. When something wasn't right, you attacked without hesitation. If I had been the enemy, I probably wouldn't have anticipated that at all. I'd probably be pretty…damaged. But you fought back, and I'm proud of you,"
"Thanks Dad," Sam looked up at her father, "It means a lot to me. But I'm not sure the General will think the same way. He'd be well within his rights to have me court marshaled. So would you for that matter,"
"That would be a no, on both counts. I think you're underestimating Jack," Jacob said, scratching his head, "The man adores you…"
"Dad!" she said, blushing and catching the aforementioned General's eyes who raised his eyes such a fashion that Sam couldn't decide whether he'd heard her father or not. Let alone whether he really felt that way about her or not.
"What? Selmak beat death—again. You think I'm gunna let you wallow in denial deep enough for the both of you?"
"Yes,"
"Listen Sam…You two have been through more together than anyone else I know. I don't think he'd throw that away on something like this." He reasoned, and then added, "Besides, you kicked his ass, he's probably more proud of you than anything,"
Jack watched as Carter turned to giver her father a hug, and laughed when Jacob winced when she touched his neck. He'd heard the last part of the conversation---Jacob was right. He was more proud of her than anything—but that didn't mean that he wasn't going to let her have it. As a General of course.
He bent down to pick up the discarded weapon and its magazine, almost falling over again. Damn Carter packed some force! He heard snickers in the background from the vicinity of Bra'tac and Teal'c and glared at them. So much for Jaffa loyalty…
As he turned gun over in his hands, he noticed that modifications had been made from the weapon's standard magazine capacity of seven to fifteen as in a Beretta 96. He made his way over to where the magazine was lying a few feet away. He loaded the gun and couldn't resist checking out is practical features. He raised his arm straight forward, taking imaginary aim. It sure was ergonomic….and deadly.
What in the world was Carter doing with a weapon like this? He'd known that she had major irks about the Beretta M9's, 92's and 96's that they'd started out with in the beginning, but General Hammond had ordered new customized weapons after they'd almost blown up Klorel and Apophis the first time around.
While Jack wasn't as familiar with this weapon from his SOTT as Carter obviously was; you don't just get such a customized Kimber (or any weapon for that matter), just for the heck of it. Certainly not for self-defense. Jack knew from dark experience that only certain people carried the weapon and ammunition before him—and his 2IC had never struck him as one of them.
Maybe a catch up talk was a little over due, as was a lecture about certain models of firearms….
Seeing that the conversation between father and daughter was over, he stuck the weapon in the waistband of his jeans, under his shirt, and strode over purposefully. His 2IC stood to attention quickly.
He could tell in her eyes that she was feeling guilty. Not that she shouldn't, she had just assaulted two Generals, one her CO, the other her father. However Jack was relieved to see that she hadn't turned out like him, that even after years of partaking in such battle conditions, she hadn't outgrown the instinct to be afraid of hitting a superior—that she hadn't reached that corrupted yet (although to Jack, Sam was hardly corrupted).
Suddenly, the room temperate dropped several degrees, and all was quiet.
"At ease, Colonel. Can I have a word, privately?" he asked, a tad coldly. She her bow her head and her body language seem to accept what ever was coming. If she'd been paying attention, she would have noticed the grin on his lips.
"Yes sir," She said meekly, and started to walk out stiffly. Jack sighed and followed her; he let his hand rest lightly on the small of her back, and felt her relax slightly.
He saw her watching and gauging him out of the corner of her eye and he leaned over into her personal space and whispered in her ear, "Relax Carter…the fun is only just beginning,"
Sam was so shocked, she stumbled.
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Ok, ok. I don't really expect you to accept or like this, it was more a venting piece that a friend encouraged me to post. However, I found that writing Stargate and nothing S/J didn't exactly go as planned; you shippers may be in for a surprise yet.
Just for the record, I have nothing big against Beretta's, for the most part, they're great, but I decided Sig Sauers were more LE weapons than anything else. Big thanks to Susie for her Betaing help.
Continuation or no?