Title: All The Difference

Author: Knife Hand

Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated

Spoilers: Has references to all Stargate series seasons. Buffy to the end of Season 3

Rating: MA

Disclaimer: Don't own SG1, Buffy or any other character from a recognised series.

Summary: SG1 gets some help from an unexpected source… The future.

" " denotes speech, ' ' denotes thought.

AN: Deviates from just after Learning Curve in season 3 (1999).

********

Sam stared down at the photo as she rode in the back of the Hummer. She knew she was torturing herself, but she could not help it.

"Who are they, Sam? Family?" Daniel asked from next to her.

Sam looked up at her team-mate and the back down at the photo.

"Something like that." She replied, studying the image again. She was absorbed in studying a pair of soulful brown eyes.

"You take the picture?"

"No. I've never actually met them. I probably never will."

"Oh. Sorry." Daniel said, looking out the window to leave Sam in peace.

A slight smile flickered across Sam's lips. Daniel assumed they were dead, and in a way, that was true. Taking in the image as a whole she saw a young woman with short brown hair and beautiful blue eyes, dressed in a Air Force Lieutenant's uniform leading a brown eyed, blond haired little girl in dressed in a red dress. Two people she had never met... her daughters.

In the eight months since Skipper had died, she had made a number of still photographs from the video footage, which she kept in an album in her house, but the photo of Joyce and Janet she always kept on her, but this was the first time one of her team had caught her looking at it.

"Major. Doctor. We are here." The driver said, pulling up.

Sam and Daniel got out of the Hummer and stared across a series of Limestone buildings that resembled a University campus. Standing by the entrance was Lieutenant Xander Harris and Tara Mclay awaiting them.

"Major Carter, Doctor Jackson. Welcome to the Yard." Lieutenant Harris said.

Sam winced internally at Xander's military use of her name. She was conflicted. On one hand she knew she could love him, hell according to the recording they had spent almost twenty years happily married. On the other, she had only briefly met the younger man standing in front of her. The father of her children who may never exist. Even for a genius with a PHD in astrophysics and experience with time travel, it gave her a headache.

"Why the yard?" Daniel asked.

'Good old practical Daniel.' Sam thought idly.

"Courtyard above, dockyard below." Xander replied. "Let's show you around."

The first section of the tour was of the university section, the Courtyard, which educated the Fleet personnel and members of the Order. To all outward appearances it seemed like a normal university, but one with a definite military bent. One group was performing drills on green that was surrounded by four buildings, each with a covered walkway separating it from the green, a row of arches provided access from the walkways onto the green.

'This is familiar.' Sam thought.

"Are those Fleet personnel?" Daniel asked, nodding to the drilling group.

"Fleet and Order." Tara replied, quietly.

"We train everyone together because most Order members will be assigned to fleet vessels or military bases." Xander clarified.

They continued around the grounds for a while before something finally clicked.

"Jacarandas!" Sam said suddenly.

"Huh?" Daniel said confused.

"Yeah, we could not get them imported. Stupid customs." Xander replied.

"This is almost an exact replica of the University of Queensland campus in Australia." Sam explained to Daniel. "The only thing missing are the Jacaranda trees."

"Yes, well Professor Trickett was the first lecturer to sign on, and when he found out that we had not even drawn up plans, he insisted we replicate his old campus." Xander explained. "It helped cut down the lead time and what with the Air Force and Navy Engineers, we had both facilities built in under four months."

"Wait. Professor Joseph Trickett? One of the best Quantum Physicist on the planet." Sam asked.

"Yes. He was teaching advanced Chemistry when we approached him. Lovely atmosphere down there. Did you know they have a plaque to commemorate your visit at Wordsmiths Cafe? One of the reasons Joseph agreed was for a chance to meet you."

Daniel chuckled to himself at Sam's expression of outright shock. One of the Physicists she admired the most was a fan of her work.

"So he teaches, what? Astronavigation? Wormhole physics?" Daniel asked.

"No, actually. Though Major Carter will recognise many of the equations." Harris replied.

"So what does he teach?"

"Magical Theory."

Both Daniel and Sam stared, stunned, at the quiet blonde's words.

"It's all manipulation of Energy." Tara explained. "You use machines, we don't."

"Professor Trickett will be happy to explain after the tour. He has standing request for lunch with both of you. And he made it before we told him you were on SG1."

********

After the tour of the campus above, the tour went underground to the dockyard. Lieutenant Harris and War Mistress Mclay had been joined by a Navy Commander who led the two members of SG1 to the observation gantry high above the dockyard floor. The floor was divided into four massive berths. The first birth was empty, but the floor was divided into twenty roped off areas that appeared tiny from the gantry.

"This is where we make to 302's and 43's. We've suspended constructing the fighters. We have five complete squadrons of each but we only have one and a half squadrons of pilots for each." Harris explained.

They moved on to the second berth which housed three ships, each with only a few people moving on the construction gantries.

"The first three Valkyrie class." The Navy Command announced, "The Brynhild, The Joan of Arc and The Samantha Carter."

Absolute silence descended, Sam and Daniel in shock. Tara stood there shaking her head while Xander glared at the Navy Commander.

"What?"

"You are a complete idiot, Dodge." Harris said, before turning to the Major. "Sorry Sam. We're naming the Valkyries after great female warriors. No one in recent years comes close to you."

"The next one will be call The Slayer." Tara said quietly. "For all of the Slayers who are not known or can never be publically acknowledged."

"Anyway. The Valkyries are basically ready. They are Spaceworthy and will be ready for a fight in about three days, it's mostly just doing final fitting. Let's move on to the Prometheus' berths." Xander said.

The last two berths were completely filled with the skeleton of a single Prometheus class vessel. In berth 3 the skeletal structure was complete and the basic internal structure and hull had been begun at the prow of the vessel. The vessel in berth 4 had only 70 percent of its skeleton completed.

"PM1 should be ready in about two months. PM2 about a month after that. It takes about 5 and a half months from start to finish for a Prometheus." Dodge explained.

"No names for the yet?" Daniel asked.

"No. We're waiting till it closer to launch dates." Xander replied. "But for now, it's lunch time and Professor Trickett will be waiting."

********

"Major, Doctor. I have read your report." General Hammond said. "Anything to add?"

"Well, Sir." Carter began. "They have a Quantum Physicist teaching Magic and A Navy Sub Commander overseeing their construction of the big ships."

"And a Valkyrie named after Sam." Daniel added in.

"So your assessment?" Hammond prompted.

"They play by their own rules, they are quite insane and they are the best at what they do. Just like us." Daniel concluded.

"I agree. Unconventional but efficient." Sam added.

General Hammond sat considering for a moment before he was interrupted by the ringing of the red phone.

"Hammond." He answered before pausing to listen for a minute. "Understood."

Hammond hung up the phone and sighed.

"I hope you are both right. NORAD's deep space just picked up a number of Goa'uld ships on the outer edge of the Solar System. Looks like Multiple Pyramid Ships."

"I'll go inform the Colonel." Carter said, leaving the room.

TBC…