"You did what?" Landry exclaimed.
All of SG1 was sitting around the table, listening to Sam's story of the past couple of days. She had only just begun – explaining that the detective had traced the bullet and she and Jackie decided to go to Prague – when Landry had interrupted almost angrily.
"You went to Prague and back in less than two days?" Daniel asked incredulously.
"Jackie had access to a second puddle jumper." Sam couldn't ignore the surprised looks around the table. "That's how she flew General O'Neill out here from D.C."
"What happened in Prague, Colonel?" Landry growled, not at all happy with the day's turn of events.
Sam summarized the events – from landing in Prague, to meeting Serge, to the security tape, to speaking with Agent Barrett, and returning to the States. She was brief in her summary, leaving out several details that would later be pertinent.
"Why do I get the feeling you're not telling us everything Carter?" Landry was really starting to get angry now. "Where is Dr. Nielson?"
"When we arrived back at the airstrip Jackie said she had an errand to run and that she would catch up with me later. Once I was out of the jumper she took off, cloaking before I could see where she was headed."
"Colonel Carter you said that you had something that could be a matter of global security. So far I don't see it. You are testing my patience."
Sam looked over her shoulder at an airman stationed at the computer in the corner. The airman nodded.
"General if you would turn your attention to the screen behind you." As Sam spoke the lights dimmed and the projector came on. "Sir, when we were in Serge's shop, I was trying to get information out of him while Jackie browsed around looking for something, anything that could help us. She came across this." Sam hit a button on the remote and up came Jackie's picture of the shrine in Serge's shop.
"Crap!"
"That is indeed an appropriate statement Daniel Jackson."
"I think I missed something."
"That makes two of us Colonel Mitchell. What are we looking at Carter?"
"Well sir," Using a laser pointer Sam pointed out a small silver sphere in the middle of the shrine. "This here is a Goa'uld communication device."
"Goa'uld?" Landry was dumbfounded. "I thought we were done with those guys."
"The system lords are gone sir, but there are still a few Goa'uld on the loose." Daniel interjected.
"So which Goa'uld is this? Or can we tell?"
"These symbols here tell us which Goa'uld."
"And…?" Landry prompted when no one said anything.
It was Teal'c who finally answered.
"It is Ba'al."
"Sir, you can't do that!"
"I can Carter, and I have." Landry replied.
"With all due respect sir, we don't even know where she went. For all we know…"
"Colonel!" Landry interrupted. Softening his voice he continued, "Look Carter, I know what this means, and I realize that you are worried about her, I want her to be okay as much as you do. But if you remember, you were the one who convinced me that Jackie went after Ba'al. I'm sorry Colonel, but I have already officially declared her MIA."
"Sir…!"
"Carter!" Landry interrupted, the tone of his voice warning her not to continue. "I don't suppose you know how to contact her parents."
"No sir. She didn't talk about them much."
"I see. Do what you can to contact them."
"Yes sir."
"Carter…"
"Unscheduled off-world activation."
General Landry and Colonel Carter shared a look before hurrying down to the control room. Both thought the same thing instantly: perhaps their conversation was a little premature.
"What is it Sergeant?" Landry called.
"Don't know sir, we're not receiving a GDO."
"What about a radio signal?" Sam asked.
"Not yet ma'am."
Sam sat down at the closest computer and started typing furiously.
"Sir, we are receiving a radio signal."
"Let's hear it."
"SGC this is puddle jumper 2, do you copy?"
Sam could barely contain her excitement and relief at hearing that voice.
"Dr. Nielson this is Landry, we copy."
"It is good to hear your voice General."
"Where exactly are you, Doctor?"
"I'm not sure, sir. I don't even know if this planet has a designation yet."
"Are there hostiles?"
"Yes sir. But they are all in orbit around the planet investigating an explosion."
"An explosion?"
"Sir, as much as I would love to fill you in on the events of the last week right now, I'm afraid I don't have the time. In less than a minute my cloak will fail. When that happens the hostiles will open fire. I know you have no reason to trust me right now sir, but I really need you to open the iris."
"I can't do that Doctor."
"Then sir that thump you hear against the iris will be me."
"What?"
"I am having mechanical problems sir, I don't have time to make another pass at the Stargate. I am lined up and will be entering in 10…9…8…7…6…"
Landry stood frozen. Both the sergeant and Sam looked at him expectantly.
"…5…4…"
"Sir?" Sam worried.
"…3…"
"Open the iris!"
"…2…1."
The iris had just slid completely open when the puddle jumper came through. Seconds later, the wormhole disengaged and the soldiers in the gate room relaxed. Because of the number of soldiers on the ground the jumper hovered at eye level with the control room and Jackie could clearly see the expressions on the faces before her. Sam was relieved and very glad to see her alive. The sergeant looked relieved that he hadn't heard a thump against the iris. General Landry on the other hand, looked pissed.
"Land that damn ship and report to the briefing room Dr. Nielson." Landry barked, confirming her suspicions that he was angry.
Jackie looked beneath her, there were still men mingling about the room.
"Mind clearing the gate room so that I can do that sir?"
As General Landry stormed back up the stairs Sam rushed out of the control room heading directly towards the gate room. She had barely cleared the door when Jackie stepped out of the jumper. Seconds later Daniel and Teal'c entered through the opposite door, but neither Sam nor Jackie noticed. Both women had paused as they saw the other, conflicting emotions coursing through both.
"Jackie!" Daniel's exclamation brought Sam and Jackie back to reality. Daniel hurried up and gave Jackie a hug. In the short time that he had known her he had become very protective of her. "If you ever worry me like that again…"
"Indeed."
Jackie smiled at the three people who had so quickly accepted her into their family. There was only one missing…
"Absolutely not Doctor!" Landry was adamant.
"With all do respect, sir, there is nothing you can do to stop me."
The shock and dismay in the room was palpable. SG1 and General Landry had just spent the last hour listening to Jackie explain where she had been over the course of the previous week. They were all surprised to hear that she had spent the time tracking Ba'al down. Never once had she engaged his ship. In fact, her malfunctioning cloak and mechanics were due to a stray meteor shower that had been heading towards the planet that Ba'al's ship was orbiting. Had it not been for diversionary measures – a rather spectacular explosion – Ba'al's ship would have eventually detected her.
Upon finishing her tale, Jackie had declared that she was heading back to that planet to destroy Ba'al as soon as she could get the jumper fixed. It was this declaration that had elicited Landry's adamant response and Jackie's rather disrespectful one.
"Jackie…" Daniel tried to calm her down, but she would have none of it.
"I could have you taken to the brig Doctor."
"Yes that is true, if you wanted to leave the jumper to block up your gate room." Jackie retorted. "General, no one else on this base can fly the jumper, and if I wanted to, once I was in it I could control the gate and you wouldn't be able to do anything about it." Jackie let her words hang in the room for a second before continuing, much subdued. "I don't want to have to that General. I came back to SGC because I wanted your cooperation and understanding. General Ba'al has been as much a threat to global security as any of the other former system lords, maybe even more so since he is one of the few that has survived."
"I don't take well to threats Dr. Nielson." Landry stated, trying hard to keep his anger under control. "I don't care how good your intelligence on Ba'al's ship may be, permission denied."
"But sir…"
"My decision is final Doctor!" This time Landry snapped. "You said it will take you an hour to fix the jumper, I suggest you get to work. I want that thing out of my gate room ASAP!"
As Landry stood to leave, Sam and Cameron also stood out of respect. Everyone else began to move towards the door – everyone except Jackie. Jackie stood resolutely and followed Landry into his office. When he turned and saw her behind him, he was irate.
"No more arguments Doctor. This conversation is finished."
"I'm aware of that sir." Jackie replied almost docilely. "I just wanted to give you this." She handed him an envelope and then left.
"Damn."
The curse was quiet. But Daniel, who was still in the briefing room, still heard it come from Landry's office. Against his better judgment, Daniel moved towards the general's office and knocked on the door. Landry looked up at him.
"Come in, Dr. Jackson."
"Is everything alright, General?"
"No." Came the simple reply. Silence reigned for a couple minutes before Landry handed the letter in his hands over to Daniel.
Daniel's sharp intake of breath was audible as he read the letter.
Hank,
Jackie is following my orders. Trust her; she knows what she is doing.
The letter had only a simple one name signature: Jack.
Daniel looked up at Landry in shock.
"Dr. Jackson tell SG1 to gear up, you'll be leaving as soon as Dr. Nielson has the jumper up and running."
"Yes, sir."