1215 October 27 1997 [Local Calendar]
Cheyenne Mountain, SGC
Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA
I quickly make my way to the isolation cell that I had very recently been observing. As I speed walk through the cylindrical hallways of the base, I spot Seni stepping out of the commissary.
"Seni!" I call out, causing her to pause mid step and look at me. Approaching her I dropped my voice to a whisper. "Find Sarah and get everything packed up, load it into a bag that you can carry through the gate. Once done go get geared up like we're going on a mission, our ride is at 1630."
The SPARTAN saluted saying, "Yes, Sir." Before turning on her heel and taking off at a light jog.
Continuing on my previous route I come to the door that I was looking for to find a problematic situation.
"I am a Colonel in the United States Air Force, and I am ordering you, Petty Officer, to stand aside so that I may interrogate the prisoner!" Maybourne was shouting in Jane's face… or was trying to at least, he was about 18 inches too short to effectively pull it off.
"Colonel, I cannot comply with your order. My orders were given to me by my direct superior, Commander Drake, and were reinforced by General Hammond. The only ones allowed into the room are the members of SG-10 for the safety of all involved." Was the stoic and professional response that he received.
Tucking myself back around the corner I had just turned I pull out the hologram puck and activate it so that Serina appears, before she can say anything I begin to quickly and quietly explain a few things. "Serina, I'm sending you back with Hathor. Once back, tell Kasumi to get ready for a mission. After that, do what you can to help Hathor's mental state, try to find a psychiatrist amongst the civilians that we saved. Any questions?" A negative shake of the head, and a determined look was the only response I received.
Deactivating the puck, I move back around the corner and towards the fuming Harry Maybourne and stoic Jane Gray. "Colonel, it's good to see you again." I said, catching his attention. "Is there anything I can help you with?" I ask innocently.
The officer turned his hard gaze toward me and spoke with a not insignificant amount of venom in his voice. "Yes, Commander, you can rescind your orders and allow me inside this cell."
"I'm sorry Colonel, but that's above my authority now, as the General gave his own orders concerning our guest." I say, gripping my hands behind my back. "If you want in, you will have to take it up with him." I finish with a smile.
Maybourne, looking insescessed, looked me dead in the eye as he spoke. "My people are guarding every exit of this facility, you won't be able to get her out."
Meeting his glare, I smile. "Colonel, I promise you, I will not allow either the host or the symbiote to use that door."
Looking mollified by my words he turned on his heel and walked away.
Once the man was out of sight I turned to Jane. "Get your gear packed, we're going through the gate in four hours, bring everything." I received a nod and salute from the woman before she moved past me towards our quarters.
I stepped to the door to the cell and opened it before entering and closing the door behind me. Looking around the room I noticed that much of the decor had been tossed around which matched up with the rage that had been displayed in the initial three days.
As I scanned the room I spotted movement in the corner, and as I focused on it I saw Hathor looking back at me with wet, and semicoherant eyes. Moving towards her I quickly kneel down to look her eye to eye. "Hathor, we don't have much time. I am going to get you someplace safe, but in order to do that I need you to stand up." I explain, while also extending my right hand towards her.
She looked, despondently, at my hand for a long second before looking back into my eyes. "Why would you help me? I have done such horrible things."
"Listen, I don't know exactly what you have done, but I also know that it wasn't by choice." I say, allowing my Communication Talent to take center stage causing me to speak with conviction and confidence. "And I think that you want to atone for your past actions. Am I wrong?"
She held my gaze a moment longer before she closed her eyes in acquiescence. "No, you are correct." She admitted before reaching, tentatively, for my outstretched hand.
Grabbing it firmly but not harshly I hoisted her onto her feet before reaching into my pocket for the puck and handing it to her. "Take this, she'll explain things on the other side." I say as I place my hand on the wall and open a portal to my pocket dimension. Before she could really freeze up in shock at this new and unusual phenomenon, I gave her a slight shove, pushing her into the portal. Once she was gone I closed the portal and stepped out of the cell. Seeing a passing Airman I ask him to let Colonel O'Niell know that the prisoner had been moved up to sub-level 15. Once he was walking away I quickly nudged him psionically to forget who had said anything, something that I was only capable of doing because I'd taken my time guarding the last couple of days to practice with my psionics.
Smirking to myself I speed walk to my quarters. Passing through the halls and giving some friendly nods to my acquaintances and a wave or two here and there. Just as I approached the elevator, it opened to the concerned, blonde, and beautiful Captain Carter.
She was about to step out when she noticed me with my hand paused reaching for the button, only a foot and a half away from her, causing her to startle into a step back. "Commander!" She exclaimed in surprise before calming down. "Commander, what in the hell is going on?" She asked while making space for me in the elevator car. "When you didn't come to the lab as you normally do after your shift on watch I went to your quarters to find you, only to find the rest of your team packing all of their personal effects into rucksacks like they were getting ready to leave."
Getting into the car I pressed the button for my personal quarters before turning back to the scientist. "That would be because we are leaving, at 1630 with SG-7 to be precise, so long as the ass-hat Maybourne doesn't attempt to arrest us for one reason or another." Looking into her face I could see that she needed more context, so giving her a sigh I continued. "The General and I got into a disagreement about Hathor-"
"Did your method of wiping negative influences not work?" She asked, cutting me off.
"That's the thing, it worked even better than I anticipated, but I had a realization. Any intel that she might have had would be four thousand years out of date, and without actionable information there would be no way to verify that she had in fact changed."
"And without verification, the best that could be expected for her situation is a cold and dark cell." She finished my thought process, her face showing skepticism about the possibility of Hathor changing followed by sadness at the thought of what if?
Nodding to show her that I had thought the same thing, the elevator doors opened, we stepped out and began to walk back to my room. "So I decided to take my concerns to the General and inform him that I'd be sending her back to my people so that she can get the mental and emotional treatment that she needs after thousands of years of being an evil bitch."
"And that didn't go over very well which is why you're leaving." She finished the conversation as we got to the door to my quarters. She looked at the floor with sadness evident in her eyes.
"Hey, why the long face?" I ask, placing a hand on her shoulder as I turn to face her more fully.
"It's just that I thought that we'd have more time to work on the projects that you had proposed during your briefing about yourself, and I find that working in the lab with you to be… enjoyable and productive. There aren't many people that can keep up with me when I'm working full speed." She replied, her face gaining the faintest blush as she admitted to enjoy working with me.
I knew that her comment about people not being able to keep up with her wasn't her boasting, it was an objective fact, even I could only think of a handful of Tauri that were even close to her level: Rodney McKay, Eli Wallace, and Nicolas Rush. Other than them I really couldn't think of anyone else off the top of my head, and even I was forced to heavily rely on Science and Engineering Talents to be even close to keeping up with her.
"I know, working with you has been highly rewarding, but keep in mind that this is not the last you'll see of us, we'll just be working separately most of the time, and just as I told the General, we will always be here to help Earth." I said, giving her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.
She wiped at her eyes suspiciously before taking in a quick breath that almost sounded like a sniff. "Well then, you'd better get packing." She said as she made an expeditious retreat.
I watched her go with mild confusion. What the fuck? There is legitimately no reason for her to be this broken up about it, we've really only known each other for, what? A week? Two tops. Shaking my head I turn into my room to pack. Once the door was closed I quickly open a portal back to my Pocket Dimension, immediately finding Kasumi laying on the couch in the living room of my island home, kicking her legs as they hang over the back of the couch.
"Hey, you're looking a little bit bored." I say with a smirk as she nearly jumps out of her skin. "Want something to do?"
"Damnit Fred, you're an asshole. Yes I want something, anything to do." She replied as she jumped to her feet.
"Good, do you need anything?" I ask as I make a quick purchase with the Catalog.
ALL ROADS LEAD TO HOME -10
"Nope, I've been hoping that you would need me, so I've been ready for like a week." She said with enthusiasm.
"Alright here's your mission: You are to remain unseen and keep track of all of the planets that SG-1 goes to." Watching her look of confusion I continue. "Don't worry about it, just follow me for now and stay invisible. Odds are that I'll speak to at least one of them before we leave. Specifically stay close to Doctor Daniel Jackson. If everything goes according to plan he should come into contact with something that I want within the next month or so."
Getting a nod from her I watch as she pixelates until she's nowhere to be seen.
I quickly snatch up Serina's holo puck off the counter and make my way back through the portal to my room. I leave it open for another 15 seconds before I close it feeling the psionic presence of the Thief in the room. Quickly packing what few personal possessions I have, I leave to get geared up.
1607 October 27 1997 [Local Calendar]
Cheyenne Mountain, SGC
Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA
My team was gathered in the corridor behind the Gateroom with all of our gear and equipment ready to go. Just as I was about to grab something from my pocket, a certain archeologist came around the corner.
"Ah! Commander Drake, I had.. a.. question." His voice trailing off as he looked over my team. "Are you guys going somewhere?" He asked in confusion.
"Yeah, I had a bit of a spat with the General and so we both agreed that maybe it was time that we were on our way." I say, pulling him further around the corner before checking to see if Maybourne or his goons had noticed the brief exchange.
"If he agreed then why are you being so secretive?" He asked the question of the hour.
"Because Daniel, there's a certain Colonel who came for Hathor. She's not here anymore and as such I'm sure that he's looking to arrest me." I say turning back to him. "The General won't do anything to prevent me from leaving, but he also can't actively assist me. So I'm afraid I have to ask you for a favor." I continue pulling the hyper advanced puck out of my pocket, activating it quickly.
"Okay… how am I supposed to help?" Daniel asked, glancing down at the projection of Serina.
"I need you to take Serina's puck here and place it in proximity to one of the computer towers in the control room." I tell him before looking down at the AI. "How close do you need to be?"
"Ideally, in direct contact. Inconspicuously, 30 inches." She replied instantly.
I offer the puck to Daniel. "Here just have it in your pocket and stand next to the tower."
He gingerly takes the puck, careful to avoid touching Serina's hologram, much to my amusement. "Okay and what is she going to do to help you?"
"Oh, that's easy." The faerie sized woman replied looking at him. "I'm going to hack into the system and disable the Iris, close and lock the blast doors, disable the intercom, and prevent any radio signals into the room." She said with a smile.
"… You know? You can be very scary sometimes." The man responded before looking back at me. "How will you get her back?"
I smile. "Oh, don't you worry about that. She'll make her way home."
"Why me?" He asked quickly, cutting off my attempt to get him moving.
I sigh. "Because Daniel, nobody really questions a member of SG-1 being in the control room, and Maybourne would probably just see you as a civilian, a non-factor." And with that I motion for Daniel to get moving, as we only had a couple of minutes left before the departure time.
I had Six and the Chief watching the hall while I paid very close attention to my watch. Sarah was leaning against the wall opposite me with her eyes closed, probably using her psionics to keep track of Maybourne, and Kasumi had left with Daniel. If I knew her as well as I thought I did, she'd already have Serina back in her own possession.
At 1629 I heard the gate beginning its dialing sequence, and motioned for us to move. Running into the gate room as the fifth chevron was locked, I was unsurprised when the blast doors both across from us and the one behind us closed before there was a clunk.
Looking into the control room I could see General Hammond giving me a hard look. Seeing that the jackass Colonel was not present I quickly tapped on my radio. "It's probably just a temporary malfunction General."
I watch the man stifle a chuckle before answering. "A temporary malfunction? Then in your expert opinion how many more of these Malfunctions should I expect?"
"Two, maybe, no more than three." I say, but before I can continue three things happen simultaneously.
First there is a call of. "Chevron seven, Lo-", the audio being abruptly cut off is the second. The final thing I see through the reflection of the Kawoosh in the control room window is a very pissed off Colonel storm into the room, Jack strolling in behind him sedately.
I watch as Maybourne attempts to give orders, based on lip movements, to shut down the gate. When that doesn't work, he tries screaming into the intercom microphone. All the while my team is moving towards the gate and SG-7 follows after a brief wave from General Hammond. I see Jack step beside Daniel to ask what's going on, and I admit I enjoy the devious smirk that emerges on the face of SG-1's leader.
As I see Maybourne reaching for his sidearm I step backwards through the gate and onto our temporary safe haven.
1802 October 27 1997 [Local Calendar]
P8X-987
Milky Way Galaxy
I quickly realized the flaw in my original plan. You see the original plan was to dial several Gates one after another until I found a world that I liked. That became void when I saw the planet we were going to.
This is Cassandra's planet.
This is the next episode.
That means that within the next four days everyone on this planet will die, except for one girl who is left as a trap.
There was no way that I could leave. But I also couldn't stay, it was only a matter of time before Maybourne managed to get presidential approval to have us arrested and sent back to Earth.
Good thing I have a way out.
As my team and I make our way into the thick forest I zoom way out on my Bounty Tracker. Sure enough there are two signatures in the system, both near the moon.
Turning to my companions I smile. "Alright ladies, who's ready for a little bit of piracy." I ask before opening a portal to the pocket dimension on the ground allowing myself to fall through so that we could prepare ourselves for the challenge ahead.
A/n: hello everyone, I apologize for the delay but I've kinda been in a slump, not really having much in the way of a muse. Anyway, thanks for reading and I'll see you in the next chapter.
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