Chapter 18: The Logistics Problem
Jacob Carter stepped out of the wormhole with a sense of frustration. His week of vacation with Sam, while trying, had relaxed him. The familiarity of Earth always eased his weary heart. But this last week spent arguing with the High Council had removed every bit of the peace he had acquired.
They are afraid, Jacob, Selmak whispered in his ear.
I know, he replied silently. But they could doom us to failure by catering into their fears.
The wormhole disgorged the remaining Tok'ra members with a soft pop. Of all the Tok'ra available only three had volunteered to go on this mission. Surprisingly, Anise/Freya was the first to volunteer. She used her scientific mind to apply her form of cold logic. She was certain that the future of the Tok'ra rested in the hands of Aphrodite. To this end, she would work hard to succeed in securing Aphrodite's safety and that of her people.
Delek quickly followed out of a sense of loyalty to Anise. Jacob and Selmak were both sure that the arrogant man was in love with the scientist. Even now, the man was paying more attention to Anise than to his surroundings. Jacob shot him a disapproving frown before turning to his last volunteer, Malek.
Of the three, Jacob and Selmak welcomed Malek's presence the most. He was a natural leader and a seasoned operative. His diplomatic skills were a good supplement to Jacob and Selmak.
Four people to move millions, Jacob frowned at his small group again. Not exactly a recipe for success, he griped.
Selmak laughed at him, You are thinking small again, Jacob. What would your daughter do with these limitations?
Jacob sighed, I don't know.
Then let us ask her, Selmak insisted. The Tau'ri have a way of succeeding against the odds. And your daughter has always been the instrument for their success.
But… with all that she went through on Cythera… is it fair to ask her to help? Jacob asked, his pain evident. He had seen how his daughter was trying to cope with the events on Cythera. And in spite of her protests, she was handling it poorly.
No…but when has life been fair? Selmak replied, throwing out one of Jacob's favorite sayings.
Jacob let out a tired sigh. "Well, it can't hurt to ask," he said aloud. As the last of Anise's equipment was pushed through the wormhole, Jacob approached Aphrodite's Jaffa guarding the Stargate.
"My lord, welcome back. My queen has put us at your disposal. How may we help, my Lord?" the troop leader said with a deep bow.
Selmak took control, "Escort my people to their quarters and assist them in transporting their equipment. I would seek an audience with Queen Aphrodite at her earliest convenience."
"Of course, My Lord," the troop leader stated. He barked out several short orders to his men and then personally escorted Jacob/Selmak to the queen.
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Sam was on a roll. She had single handedly finished three problem projects last night and was on the verge of solving Felger's carbon polymer problem when the alarm interrupted her thoughts. She hadn't been able to focus like this since… well, awhile.
"Unscheduled Off-World Activation."
Sam had been so focused and clear headed after she left Jack yesterday afternoon that she kept wondering why she hadn't just gotten it out of her system sooner. Hell, she could have saved herself that awkward talk with Janet on Friday if she had known. As it was, she didn't want to stop working on the vest inserts problem. She knew she was close, but… but it could be a hostile alien trying to invade the base… yeah, right. Keep telling yourself that, girl.
Sam sighed and hesitated before finally deciding to find out what was going on. She quickly jotted down a few more notes and then saved her work. Without further delay, she jogged for the control room.
"SG-1 to the conference room. SG-1 to the conference room."
Sam frowned. Hostile aliens didn't usually want to sit around the table than chat. Great! One of our allies thinks we have nothing better to do than hang around and gossip. She changed direction without slowing her pace. She stopped just outside the conference room and entered at a sedate pace. Hopefully, the crisis would be minor and she could get back to the vest insert problem.
Laughter flowed up the stairwell from the control room, easing Sam's fears of a hostile invasion and confirming the lazy ally theory. Not a crisis then, just a visitor. Couldn't have predicted that one. She frown in anticipation of a long boring meeting, only to change it to a smile when she caught sight of her father climbing the stairs with General Hammond.
Sam jumped up and strode over to him, "Dad! Back so soon?"
"Hey, Sammie," Jacob returned her greeting. "You know me, I just can't stay away from this place."
"I know the feeling," Sam said as she led the two men back to the conference table.
Daniel chose that moment to burst into the conference room and look around confused, "Um… Jacob?"
Her father grinned, "Daniel, take a seat. We were just getting settled."
"Um… sure. Aren't you supposed to be on Cythera?" Daniel asked.
Jacob lost his grin, "Yes. That's one of the reasons I'm here."
Teal'c walked in and settled into his usual seat with a casual nod in greeting.
Jacob let out a huff, "The Tok'ra High Council has sanctioned my mission to Cythera, but… on a volunteer basis only. They don't want to force anyone into a potential trap. Now, that said, I have only gotten a few volunteers. Three to be precise. I doubt that they will be enough based on the sheer scale of this project."
General Hammond leaned forward, "So, what kind of help do you need, Jacob?"
Jacob turned to the general with a friendly smile, "Initially, I need someone reliable to help in the planning process. The Cytherans will provide a labor force for the move, but we also need help screening the Cytherans with the Za'tarc Detector for traitors. Anise can only do so much by herself." Jacob then turned to Sam, "I also need someone who is good at thinking outside the box. Someone who can find a safe way to transport several million people to a secret planet while keeping that planet a secret. I need Sam."
Sam gasped quietly and leaned back in her seat. She had a cold feeling of dread creep into her stomach.
General Hammond turned first to Daniel and Teal'c before facing Sam, "I won't make it an order, Major. As far as Earth is concerned, this is a Tok'ra problem. If we decide to assist, we can… within reason."
Sam nodded and collected her thoughts. On the one hand, Aphrodite had actually done her best to protect Sam and Jack. Not realizing that her protection was more hurtful then torture. Sam had logically reasoned out that the Earthlings had really not given the queen any choice.
But it was Sam's illogical mind that was angry at how their minds and bodies had been used against their will. She didn't need to have a logical reason to hate Cythera. She just did. And Aphrodite was the logical choice to focus her hate and anger.
But… They were talking about saving Aphrodite's people, not just the queen. Sam just couldn't reason condemning a whole planet full of people based on her hatred of their leader.
Sam gave a resigned sigh, "I'll go back and help."
"Sam…" Daniel started.
"No, Daniel. I need to do this. I need to get past this." Sam turned a shy smile at her teammate, "I've never been one to abandon a problem just because I didn't like the people involved." She turned back to her father, "I'll go back. This is bigger than just me. If nothing else, we can save several million people from the goa'uld." She finally turned to General Hammond, silently seeking his approval.
The general appraised her for several more seconds before nodding approvingly, "If you're sure, then you have my approval." General Hammond turned to Daniel and Teal'c with a silent warning before smiling at the group, "Ship out at 1600 hours. Take anything you need, Major." The general paused significantly, "SG-1, you have a go."
"Thank you, Sir," Sam said quietly, already making a mental list of things to take with her.
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