ã€ŠChildren of the Sunã€‹


 The Eaglets

    The Eaglets:

    A year can feel like a lifetime. In twelve months, so much can happen that looking back makes your head spin. That about summed up the past year for Cate. It was nearly Christmas when Sam Carter had shanghaied her into the Stargate Program, and nothing had been the same since.

    After that whirlwind first year, returning to the Alpha Site as part of the resident Aggressor Squadron almost felt like a holiday. Of course, they were still the base¡¯s first line of defence if trouble came knocking¡ªand it did, in the second week of Cate¡¯s tour. Two Lucian Alliance Al¡¯kesh had come calling, likely intending to strafe the base as they had in the early days when only two F-302s were on standby. Things had changed since then. By 2009, there were two full squadrons assigned to the Alpha Site, not counting training units. One pilot in particular stood out¡ªFrancis Bianchi, now a Lieutenant JG, was proving his skill in the venerable F-16D, part of the aggressor wing. At just twenty-two, he had notched another kill, bringing down an Al¡¯kesh and earning the title of youngest ace in the Stargate Program.

    There was another milestone for Cate. She had to admit that the Stargate Program was no passing phase in her life¡ªit was her life. With that realisation, she sold her property at Tanilba Bay and bought a hundred-acre spread outside Colorado Springs. The house was only three years old, not too big, but perfect. She brought her four horses over, fretting over them through their quarantine in Frisco like any mother would. At least their new home had a proper stable and a dry barn¡ªessential for their first real winter.

    Cate had kept in touch with young Tyra Caerau over the past year. The Invincible had done two short rotations as planetary guardian, as most ships of the 1st Fleet did, usually for two weeks to a month at a time. Each reunion followed the same pattern: Cate would be minding her own business, only to be crash-tackled by the ever-growing girl who seemed to gain another inch with every visit.

    Today, she thought she had a plan to avoid it. The ¡®Buzzards¡¯ were conducting bombing drills for cadets, and Cate had a theory session to run. The students had progressed from the Cirrus SR20 basic trainer to the T-6 Texan III, and Cate¡¯s job was to hammer home the importance of formation flying, communication, and¡ªabove all¡ªpaying attention. She figured she had fifteen minutes before class began and used the time to set up¡ªplacing textbooks, prepping instructional videos, running through notes.

    The door banged open behind her.

    ¡°Cate!¡±

    A golden-haired blur crashed into her, nearly knocking her off balance. Tyra wrapped her in a fierce hug, beaming up at her.

    ¡°I missed you so much!¡±

    Cate couldn¡¯t help but smile. It had only been a couple of months since their last visit, but Tyra¡¯s enthusiasm made it feel like years.

    <hr>

    124th Eaglets Bombing Training ¨C Alpha Site

    The 124th Eaglets sat lined up in their T-6 Texan IIIs, twelve aircraft in a razor-sharp row, their canopies glinting under the high sun. In pairs, they lifted smoothly from the Alpha Site¡¯s tarmac, banking southeast toward the bombing range fifty kilometres beyond Foreston.

    Cate watched their departure from orbit, settled in the cockpit of her F-16b her hands resting lightly on the controls. She wasn¡¯t alone; another student occupied the backseat, observing the squadron¡¯s movements alongside her.

    The exercise was straightforward: precision bombing runs, one after another, in coordinated twos. A foundational skill; timing, controlled descents, and disciplined pull-ups. Nothing overly complicated, but that was exactly the kind of training that lulled pilots into complacency. Cate had drilled it into them from the start: the target isn¡¯t your only focus. Situational awareness is what keeps you alive.

    The first few passes were promising. The Eaglets kept their formations tight, their calls crisp. Lieutenant Dean Matthews, a senior instructor and well-loved member of the Buzzards, guided Cadet Rachel Cheong, one of the program¡¯s rising stars, through their run.

    Cate caught herself nodding. Solid. Matthews was one of the best.

    Then, a flicker of hesitation.

    She saw it before it happened; the momentary fixation, the fraction-of-a-second delay. Matthews and Cheong were too locked in on their run, on their angle of attack, on making the perfect drop.

    And they weren¡¯t pulling out in time. Cate¡¯s stomach twisted. She didn¡¯t hesitate. ¡°Two-Four, pull up!¡± Her voice was sharp, cutting through the comms. ¡°Pull up!¡±

    There was a half-second of static¡­ too long.

    Then a sickening, gut-wrenching crunch as the T-6¡¯s wing clipped the ridge. The aircraft spun violently, barely had time to cartwheel before the ground swallowed it whole.

    A bloom of fire. A shock-wave through her bones.

    No ejections.

    For a long, stretched-out moment, the coms were silent.

    Then, finally, someone¡¯s voice cracked over the channel.

    ¡°Control, this is Eaglet Three, we¡­ we lost Two-Four.¡±

    Cate forced herself to swallow against the knot in her throat. Her hands flexed on the stick before she steadied them. ¡°Everyone form up. Back to base.¡± There was nothing more to do.

    <hr>

    Alpha Site ¨C Ready Room

    The ready room was silent.

    No murmuring, no nervous energy, no shuffling feet. Just the quiet, heavy weight of reality sinking in.

    Cate stood at the front, arms folded, her face unreadable as she scanned the cadets before her. Some had their eyes down, fixed on the table. Others stared straight ahead, faces pale and drawn. She let the silence stretch. Let them sit in it. Then, finally, she spoke.

    ¡°Formation. Communication. Situational awareness. I¡¯ve drilled this into you from day one. Because in the moment, it¡¯s not your fancy flying that¡¯s going to keep you alive. It¡¯s keeping your damn head where it needs to be.¡± She took a slow step forward.

    ¡°Today, we lost Lieutenant Dean Matthews. We lost Cadet Rachel Cheong. Not because they weren¡¯t skilled. Not because they weren¡¯t experienced. But because they lost focus for a split second. And that¡¯s all it takes.¡± Her voice never rose. She didn¡¯t need to shout.

    She could see it in their faces¡­ they felt it. The sheer weight of what had happened. Cate let out a slow breath. ¡°You will carry this with you. And if you ever find yourself in that same situation, if you ever feel yourself getting tunnel vision, I want you to remember this moment. I want you to remember why we never, ever take our eyes off the big picture.¡±

    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    Another long pause.

    ¡°Dismissed.¡±

    The cadets filed out quietly, some with red-rimmed eyes, others stiff with barely contained emotion. Cate remained where she was, staring at the empty seats. The door creaked open again. She didn¡¯t look up.

    Footsteps. Then silence.

    Cate exhaled and pressed her palms against the table. "Tyra, if you¡¯re here to¡­" She stopped when she finally lifted her head.

    Tyra stood just inside the door, shoulders squared, but there was something uncertain in her posture. Something careful.

    For a moment, neither of them spoke.

    Then, slowly, Tyra stepped forward and sat on the edge of the nearest table, close but not intrusive. "A year ago, you sat with me in this same room after the bridge." Her voice was quiet. "And you told me that some things never stop hurting."

    Cate didn¡¯t answer.

    "You were right," Tyra murmured.

    Cate inhaled, then let it out in a slow, controlled breath. "I can¡¯t afford to break, Tyra."

    "I know." Tyra¡¯s voice was steady. "That¡¯s why I¡¯m here."

    Cate turned the coin over in her palm.

    The room stayed quiet.

    Then the door opened again¡ªthis time, just a crack.

    Tyra glanced over her shoulder.

    Dusty.

    He paused in the doorway, catching sight of Tyra sitting there, the two of them in quiet conversation. He didn¡¯t step in, didn¡¯t interrupt. Instead, he leaned casually against the frame, arms crossed, waiting.

    Cate noticed him but didn¡¯t acknowledge him yet. Not until Tyra finally gave her a small nod, a silent reassurance, before standing.

    As she passed Dusty, he met her gaze for the briefest moment¡ªan unspoken understanding exchanged between them.

    Then, as the door clicked shut, Dusty pushed off the frame and walked inside.

    Cate let out a breath. "You waited."

    "You looked busy," Dusty said simply, settling into the chair Tyra had just vacated.

    They sat in silence.

    "You, okay?" he finally asked.

    Cate gave him a look.

    "Right. Stupid question."

    Another pause.

    Dusty leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees. "You know, you can talk to me."

    Cate smirked faintly. "And you can shut up."

    Dusty¡¯s lips twitched. "Fair enough."

    More silence.

    It wasn¡¯t awkward. It wasn¡¯t forced. It was the kind of silence that came with years of understanding¡ªone forged in the cockpit, in training, in the unspoken bond between pilots who had seen too much.

    Cate finally looked at him, the edges of her composure fraying just slightly. "He reminded me of Ben, you know?"

    Dusty¡¯s jaw tensed. He knew.

    And he knew that Cate would never say more than that.

    So, he didn¡¯t push.

    Instead, he did the only thing he could. He stepped forward and pulled her into a firm, grounding hug.

    Cate didn¡¯t resist.

    She let the silence hold them for a moment longer before she stepped back, straightening. "Thanks."

    Dusty smirked faintly. "You¡¯re still a pain in the arse, Taipan."

    "Wouldn¡¯t have it any other way."

    He clapped her on the shoulder before stepping back. "Get some rest."

    Cate didn¡¯t answer. She just reached into her pocket, fingers closing around the old coin she kept there¡­ a relic from a billiard game not so long ago. A reminder.

    She flipped it over in her palm and closed her fist. Some lessons came too late.

    And some never left you.

    <hr>

    The weeks and months rolled by, there was routine now and Cate could live in that world. She hated disorder and chaos. Not that she had hated this last eighteen months, no, she revelled in it. But, when possible, calm is what she preferred. Mid-Winter came and she spent some time at home, and not alone. Tyra had her first visit to Earth, which of course came with its difficulties, she couldn¡¯t naturally introduce the girl as an alien from another world; well, the alien part wasn¡¯t quiet right, Tyra was very human. So, a week before leaving, a false ID was drummed up for her, Officer Cadet Tyra Banks from Cardiff in Wales. That locality was chosen because of her accent, nothing there had to be practiced. Cate¡¯s only flaw in the plan was if they actually met someone from there, so that cancelled out the British and Irish Lions tour play against the Wallabies, and she was so looking forward to that.

    Tyra¡¯s reaction to Earth was it¡¯s beauty. Especially seen from the seat of a 747 jetting across the Pacific. And the warmth of Cate¡¯s home, both physically and that coming from her parents and brother. But it was over all too soon and they were back at it for the remainder of the term. At least the girl learned how to ride. That was a buzz for both of them.

    The one single factor the students had to adjust to, was that becoming a well rounded pilot wasn¡¯t all about flying. There was a lot of theory behind it, which involved endless hours of study and classroom work. As well, all students were required in their four years, to be graduates in one of the following studies, science, physics, maths or a field of engineering. This was something Cate was able to really sink her teeth into, having succeeded in gaining her PhD in Applied Physics, with her speciality being in Engineering Science in the field of Nanotechnology. Heavy stuff as Ben often told her, as he could never understand her passion for such impossible mind bending studies, just to be a pilot in the Air Force. He had always been a lazy student, and he gave his twin sister credit for getting him through ADFA, to graduate as an infantry officer with Army.

    She was in one of the larger classrooms early one morning, setting things up for the day¡¯s lessons. Cate was reflecting on a number of things, apart from looking out the window at the beautiful spring day that filled her view. Cherry blossom trees, brought from Japan by a team from that country on their way to Pegasus. A chart lay in front of her, with progress scores of all the students in her academic classes, what amazed her was the fact that he cadets from Vegema were always at the top. In subjects such as math and science, they were all a good two years ahead of their peers from Earth. One other little thing she was jotting down in her diary, it had been over five hundred and sixty days since she had been on a date and more than that she could say she had been celibate. She was quite sure the Nuns at her old High School would be most pleased with that, considering she had been labelled as a bit of a floozy in her teenage years. She wasn¡¯t of course; it was nothing more than a nasty rumour circulated by a group of jealous girls in her year nine class. Cate being who she was though, played it up just to spite them. Lost in her thoughts, her radio going off loudly and suddenly, brought her back to the waking world. ¡°Squadron Leader MacGregor report to the briefing room stat! ¡°Squadron Leader MacGregor report to the briefing room stat!¡±

    ¡°Fu¡­¡± She stirred quickly, knocking books off her desk. On the way out students were about to file in. She spoke to Tyra rapidly. ¡°Get everyone settled, you can start the study from chapter four of Nanomaterials. I¡¯m needed in the bunker.¡± The bunker of course the local term for the bases main complex.

    She sprinted towards the parade ground, her pulse quickening as she approached the scene. The air was thick with tension, the gathered personnel buzzing with subdued alarm. The ruined podium stood in stark contrast to the normally disciplined setting. Cate took one look around and blurted, ¡°What the hell happened here?¡±

    Colonel Michelle Bixby turned to her, expression grim but steady. ¡°Sniper attack during morning formation. Two injured, wood splinters. Shooter¡¯s on the run.¡±

    Cate¡¯s jaw tightened. ¡°Colonel if I may, I¡¯d like to lead the hunt¡­ I erm, have a few skills¡±

    Bixby gave a firm nod. ¡°I know you, I read your file. Find out who did this Cate.¡± She paused, adding. ¡°And Cate, be careful.¡±

    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡± Cate wasted no time. Tyra had already disobeyed orders by coming outside with the other students to see what was going on, but Cate knew she had the skills for this. She picked her, along with a Marine captain who had fought alongside them during the war on Vegema.

    One of the SFs nearby approached them. ¡°I¡¯m pretty darn sure it came from over there.¡± He pointed southwest. Indicating a cluster of buildings among the trees. ¡°By the angle of the shot, I¡¯d say they were high up.¡±

    ¡°And you know this because¡­¡± Cate looked him up and down, noticing his rank. ¡°¡­lieutenant.¡±

    He gave her a flat look. Something that told her immediately, he¡¯s been there, done that. ¡°I was a cop for ten years, Cleveland SWAT for five ma¡¯am.¡±

    That was good enough. ¡°Thank you.¡± She gathered her small team, together, they set off towards the suspected sniper position, the main stores rooftop.

    Climbing up was quick but tense. Once on the roof, Tyra was the first to spot the discarded sniper rifle. ¡°Got it,¡± she called out, crouching near it. ¡°Still warm.¡±

    Before they could investigate further, a gunshot rang out in the distance. They all spun towards the sound, instinctively ducking. Cate¡¯s heart hammered in her chest. ¡°That came from the grove of trees south of here. Move!¡±

    They raced across the open space, weapons ready, adrenaline spiking. It felt like forever getting there, but among the trees, they found a female SF soldier, slumped against a tree trunk, blood seeping through her uniform. Cate dropped to her knees beside her. ¡°Stay with me. What happened?¡±

    The woman¡¯s breathing was laboured. ¡°Shooter¡­ wounded¡­ my knife. Took my G36K and two mags.¡±

    ¡°Male or female?¡± Cate pressed.

    ¡°Female. Dark, short hair. Olive complexion.¡±

    Cate exchanged a glance with Tyra and the Marine. ¡°She¡¯s on foot. We track her.¡±

    As she spoke, medics rushed to them, a young woman dropping to her knee besides the wounded SF. Cate dipped her head towards her. A Brit, Navy. ¡°Make sure she lives Petty Officer.¡± Her voice was sympathetic, caring.

    ¡°I will Squadron Leader. You do what you have to do.¡± She replied.

    Before they left, the wounded SF called to Cate. ¡°Ma¡¯am, take¡­ my¡­ side arm.¡±

    Reaching down to take it, Cate held the woman¡¯s arm for a moment. ¡°We¡¯ll find her.¡± She tucked it into the waistband of her jeans. That simple act made her realise how she was dressed this morning. As a lecturer she wasn¡¯t required to wear her uniform on teaching days and Cate was more than enthusiastic about following that edict. Along with her jeans, she was wearing a very plain brown jacket and sturdy boots.

    <hr>

    A blood trail led them towards the storm drains. It was narrow, winding, and forced them to move cautiously. As they entered, the air turned damp and stale. Their footsteps echoed ominously in the confined space. They followed the trail deeper, the dim light forcing them to rely on a single tactical flashlight, attached to the captain¡¯s rifle. They were descending, the Marine, Carl Dempsey, made an offhand comment. ¡°Might be clipped, but she¡¯s movin¡¯ fast.¡±

    ¡°Noted.¡± About a hundred meters further in, Cate noticed something odd; a crevice in the wall, just big enough for someone to squeeze through. The blood trail vanished into it. An obvious hand print on the limestone.

    ¡°She¡¯s in there,¡± Tyra whispered. ¡°That¡¯s her left hand.¡± She pointed to the messy stain.

    Cate nodded, signalling for silence. They pressed forward into what started as a natural cave, the stone walls damp and uneven. The passage sloped downward again, forcing them to move carefully. The deeper they went, the more unsettled they felt. There was a long curve in the stone, forming an arch of sorts. Carl eased forward slowly, glueing himself to the wall.

    A flash of movement to his right as the arch opened up. The crack of gunfire. The Marine captain grunted, stumbling backwards. Cate caught him, but it was too late¡ªhe was already gone. Tyra¡¯s eyes flashed with fury. ¡°I¡¯ll handle her,¡± she hissed.

    ¡°Tyra wait!¡± She disappeared, but Cate had an idea what she was up to. Cate picked up Carl¡¯s M4, then edging forward, she found a position of cover, then firing a controlled burst to keep the shooter¡¯s attention on her. Tyra vanished somewhere into the shadows. Moments later, there was a sudden scuffle; a cry of surprise¡­ then silence. When Cate moved into the open, she found Tyra kneeling over the unconscious shooter. She had a rock in her hand.

    ¡°She won¡¯t be a problem anymore,¡± Tyra muttered, breathing hard.

    Cate was about to respond when something caught her eye; a smooth, flat section of the cavern wall. ¡°Huh!¡± She said to herself. Frowning, she stepped a little closer, running her bare hand over the surface. Dust and grime crumbled beneath her touch, revealing symbols. Ancient writing. She¡¯d seen some of it on Vegema, and some in lectures back at the SGC.

    Her breath caught. Without realising it, she had triggered something. A deep hum vibrated through the ground. Then, with a quiet hiss, the wall slid open. A faint odour, like age, the passing of millions of years.

    A tunnel stretched beyond; dark, metallic walls, and unmistakably Ancient. As she stepped inside, lights flickered on automatically, casting an eerie glow. A buzz with each light.

    Cautiously the crept in just that much further and then stopped. Both their hearts were racing.

    Cate swallowed hard, glancing at Tyra. ¡°I think¡­ I think we should let Bixby know about this, don¡¯t you?¡±

    All Tyra could do was to nod and stare.

 It never ends

    It Never Ends:

    The debate

    In a large, well-appointed briefing room deep within the Alpha Site bunker, twelve personnel sat around a polished conference table. Some were military, others civilian, but the SFs posted outside had long since stopped paying attention to who was who. All that mattered was the shouting match happening inside.

    Squadron Leader Catherine MacGregor and Doctor Horst Grunfeldt were locked in a verbal battle, voices ricocheting off the walls as their argument grew louder.

    "This is madness, Colonel!" Grunfeldt spat, his German accent thick with indignation. "You cannot simply shrug your shoulders and turn this discovery over to the SGC. They will claim all the glory; they will make the important discoveries!"

    That was how it started; Grunfeldt demanding that the Alpha Site scientists be given priority over the newly uncovered Ancient site before the SGC''s experts got their hands on it.

    Cate, seated with her arms folded, had started calmly enough. "Doctor Grunfeldt, we are in the employ of the SGC and, by extension, the IOA. Do I need to remind you that those venerable ladies and gentlemen would be ill-pleased if they found out we had been hiding something?"

    Grunfeldt bristled at the perceived condescension, his face flushing with anger. "Who are you to tell me where my coin comes from? This is about discovery! About our right to bring this glorious find to light ourselves! I don¡¯t need a second-rate high school science teacher lecturing me!"

    At the end of the table, Colonel Mori Kashegawa, Alpha Site¡¯s ground force commander, groaned and ran a hand down his face. "Oh man, you really didn¡¯t have to go there."

    Cate shot out of her chair, leaning over the table to glare at the overweight scientist opposite her. "What did you just say?"

    Grunfeldt sneered. "I don¡¯t think I can add deafness to your personal profile, can I?"

    "Herr Doktor!" Cate snapped, switching to flawless German. "One¡­ " She held up a finger. "As of several months ago, I was appointed as senior science lecturer on the Alpha Site campus academy. In other words, I outrank you considerably. Two¡­ " another finger, "¡­I¡¯ve seen your work. You¡¯re sloppy, and if it were up to me, you¡¯d be lucky if you were teaching basic science to those same high school students. Three¡­ don¡¯t you dare raise your voice to me or any other woman on this base."

    Her voice took on a dangerous edge as she raised a fourth finger. "Your assistants hate you, to the point they¡¯ve labelled you a pervert!"

    A hand slammed on the table. Colonel Michelle Bixby, the base commander, hadn¡¯t even risen from her seat, but her presence filled the room. "Cate, that¡¯s enough. You¡¯re not the only one here to speak German! Sit down." Without even realising it she was speaking the language herself.

    Cate''s jaw tightened. "I¡¯m not done with him yet, ma¡¯am."

    "Yes, you are. I want you to leave the room now, go to your quarters, and stay there until you hear from me. That¡¯s an order."

    A muscle twitched in Cate¡¯s jaw, but she knew when she was outgunned. She snapped her laptop shut with a loud clap and stormed out of the room without another word.

    Grunfeldt, looking smug, barely had time to enjoy his perceived victory before Michelle turned her piercing gaze on him. "Don¡¯t look so pleased, Doctor. This was the last straw for you. You¡¯ve got too many strikes on your record. Pack your things. You¡¯re heading back to Earth within twenty-four hours."

    "What?" He roared. "You cannot do this!"

    "Yes, I can. Do I need to have you escorted?" She glanced toward the SFs at the door, who immediately shifted forward.

    Grunfeldt¡¯s face twisted in fury, but he knew he had lost. He stalked toward the exit, pausing only to throw one last glare over his shoulder. "You won¡¯t have the last word on this, Colonel."

    Michelle didn¡¯t dignify it with a response. She waited until he was gone before standing. "Dismissed. We¡¯ll contact the SGC this afternoon."

    Francie McKell, Grunfeldt¡¯s assistant, exhaled deeply and mouthed a silent "Thank you."

    <hr>

    Reflection

    Later that evening, Michelle knocked once before entering Cate¡¯s quarters. The room was dark, save for the dim glow of Cate¡¯s laptop screen, now closed and forgotten. The Australian sat on the edge of her bed, staring at nothing.

    Michelle sighed and crossed the room, sitting beside her. She wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her in slightly. Cate didn¡¯t resist.

    For a moment, silence reigned.

    Then, softly, Michelle spoke. "Cate, what on earth were you thinking, girl?"

    Cate let out a breath through her nose. "I had to put him down."

    "Yes, the man is an insufferable dickhead, I¡¯ll give you that. But we¡¯re military. We do things by the book. You should have let me handle it."

    Cate glanced at her, a shadow of defiance still in her eyes. "I knew you¡¯d do something. But he pushed me too far. He needed to hear it."

    "And now he¡¯s on the next gate trip home. So, congratulations, you got what you wanted. But Cate¡­" Michelle squeezed her shoulder. "You¡¯ve got to learn to rein it in."

    Cate gave a slow nod, accepting the rebuke. "Am I facing disciplinary action?"

    Michelle hesitated, then shook her head. "No. But consider this your last warning."

    Cate sighed, rubbing her temples. "Understood."

    <hr>

    At 0600 the next day, Michelle stood in front of a large monitor in the command centre, speaking to a familiar face back on Earth.

    "Wait, run that by me again?" Sam Carter¡¯s blue eyes sparkled with excitement.

    "We¡¯ve uncovered what we believe to be an intact Ancient facility about six hundred metres from here. Cate¡¯s team found an entrance yesterday, but we haven¡¯t sent anyone in yet. We wanted to clear it with you first."

    Sam grinned. "This is huge, Michelle. We¡¯ll be there tomorrow. I¡¯ll bring Bill Lee with me."

    ¡°That isn¡¯t all Sam.¡± Her face impassive as she related what had happened.

    Cam was nearby, he put his face on camera. ¡°They¡¯re getting desperate, the Alliance I mean.¡±

    ¡°Dangerously so.¡± Michelle told him.

    Sam leaned forward. ¡°We¡¯ll be there shortly then. See you soon.¡±

    "Understood. We¡¯ll have a team standing by."

    As the screen went dark, Michelle leaned back in her chair, exhaling slowly. The next twenty-four hours were going to be interesting.

    SG-1

    The atmosphere in the Alpha Site¡¯s gate room shifted the moment the event horizon flared to life. A second later, five figures stepped through the wormhole; SG-1 had arrived. Waiting for them at the base of the ramp were Cate, Bixby, and Tyra, their expressions neutral but their posture revealing a hint of tension.

    Sam¡¯s face lit up when she spotted Tyra. "You look taller," she remarked with a knowing smile.

    Tyra returned the smile, a small but genuine expression. "Last time we met, I was half-dead and buried in rubble on Vegema. Not exactly my finest moment."

    Sam chuckled before stepping forward to embrace her warmly, followed by Vala, who gave Cate a quick but affectionate hug. Cam greeted Cate with his usual casual charm, nodding in her direction. "MacGregor."

    Daniel, ever composed, adjusted his glasses before offering a warm smile to both women. "It¡¯s good to see you again."

    Lastly, Teal¡¯c inclined his head, his deep voice carrying weight as he addressed them both. "Catherine MacGregor, Tyra Caerau, we meet again."

    Colonel Bixby cleared her throat. "Welcome to the Alpha Site. Before we take you to the new find, there¡¯s a little matter of questioning a prisoner. We¡¯d like your assistance."

    <hr>

    As SG-1 settled into their quarters, Cameron Mitchell found himself wandering towards the base cafeteria. He spotted Cate and Tyra seated together at a corner table; breakfast trays pushed aside as they chatted quietly. Taking a breath, he approached.

    "Mind if I sit for a moment?"

    Cate glanced up, a slow smile forming as she gestured toward the seat opposite. "Go ahead, Colonel."

    She had to admit; Mitchell was a hunk. Even in fatigues, he carried himself with an easy confidence that was hard to ignore. He seemed to struggle for words at first, rubbing the back of his neck, before finally settling on what he wanted to say.

    "We never got to thank you two for saving our necks back there on Vegema," he said. "From me and SG-1, thank you."

    Cate, ever pragmatic, shrugged. "It was nothing, Colonel. We were just doing our job."

    ¡°Are you kidding?¡± He grinned. ¡°A tall Amazonian blonde leading a band of teenagers, cutting a swathe through the Alliance like cutting down wheat. Girl that was just one hell of a show!¡±

    Her face reddened; she knew Cam was overdoing just to get a reaction from her. She elbowed the Cadet beside her.

    Tyra got the hint and smirked. "You¡¯re welcome, though."

    Cate had avoided another embarrassing moment, pushed her tray away and stretched. "Well, Colonel, we¡¯d better see what Cronalin has to say for herself." She did however look around to see if anyone had overheard Mitchell and sure enough, smart arsed faces were looking straight at her. Cate put her head down and made a hasty exit.

    <hr>

    Question Time

    A group of heavily armed Marines and SFs lined the corridors leading to the Alpha Site¡¯s cell block. As Cate, Michelle, Tyra, and SG-1 strode down the dimly lit hallway, the air was thick with unspoken tension. The only reason the youngster from Vegema was there,

    Inside the small interrogation room, Ima Cronalin sat at a plain metal table, her wrists and ankles shackled. The eighteen-year-old Lucian Alliance operative wore a standard-issue orange jumpsuit, her expression carefully composed. But the hard set of her jaw and the flicker of her eyes betrayed the nerves beneath her defiant front.

    Bixby took a seat opposite her, folding her arms. "Miss Cronalin, you have a chance to cooperate. I suggest you take it."

    The young woman scoffed. "I have nothing to say."

    Cate leaned against the wall; arms crossed. "That¡¯s funny. Because from where I¡¯m standing, you¡¯ve got plenty to explain."

    Daniel adjusted his glasses. "We know you weren¡¯t just another refugee from Saldan. Your cover was good, I¡¯ll admit. The Alliance attack on the city gave you just enough plausible deniability to blend in, but you made one mistake." He had the wisdom to quickly read the brief before he arrived.

    Cronalin¡¯s gaze flickered toward him before she masked her reaction. "And what would that be?"

    Cate took a step forward, her voice firm. "Why did you run? You could have as easily just blended back in with the other students."

    The girl remained silent; her lips pressed into a thin line.

    Daniel leaned forward, watching her carefully. "Your accent, you¡¯ve tried to hide it, but not enough" He told her. ¡°I¡¯ve spent enough time on Vegema to pick that up. Ima Cronalin isn¡¯t your real name, is it? We¡¯ve just been in touch with Plaxia, they have no birth records of you.¡± He lied but lied well. Sam looked across at him, her expression blank, so as not to give him away.

    The girl visibly tensed but didn¡¯t speak. The room held its breath, the weight of the moment pressing down on her.

    Bixby folded her arms. "You can keep up the act, but we¡¯ll get there eventually."

    A long silence stretched before Sachi exhaled sharply. "Fine. My name is Sachi Volumalo. Doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ll tell you anything else."

    Teal¡¯c took a step forward, his imposing figure casting a shadow over her. He did not speak immediately, allowing his presence to do the work for him. Slowly, Sachi¡¯s composure began to crack.

    Finally, she relented. "I was ordered to stay behind after the defeat on Vegema. To blend in with the local kids."

    Cate narrowed her eyes. "And when you found out we were bringing recruit cadets to the Alpha Site, you couldn¡¯t resist."

    Sachi looked away, jaw tightening.

    Daniel nodded slowly. "You had contact with Lucia, didn¡¯t you? A long-range communicator. They formed a plan."

    Sachi hesitated, then gave a single nod.

    Bixby¡¯s expression darkened. "Then what was the assassination attempt about?"

    Sachi shook her head. "I never meant to kill you. It was supposed to be a warning to the Tau¡¯ri. A message to make you paranoid."

    A tense beat followed before Cate spoke again, her voice razor-sharp. "When you ran; where did you think you were going?"

    Sachi fell silent, her eyes flicking downward. The room waited. After a long pause, there was little else they could find out.

    Teal¡¯c¡¯s voice rumbled through the silence. "You were not merely fleeing. You had an escape planned."

    Sachi¡¯s fingers twitched, the only sign that Teal¡¯c¡¯s words had hit their mark.

    One person in that room reacted in a heartbeat, Cate was on her coms. ¡°Switch me to the main control room.¡± She said, there was a moment of static, then a slow female Texas drawl. Cate knew it was one of the defence controllers. ¡°Patty, this is Cate, I want you to do a terrain sweep of the immediate area around the base, look for any anomalies.¡± The answer was a simple ¡®okay¡¯. Now they had to wait.

    The Ship

    An hour later, Cate received the confirmation she had suspected. Just north of the base, five kilometres outside the perimeter fence near the shore of a lake known locally as The Flood, a small but distinct anomaly registered on their scans. A bump, subtle but unnatural.

    It made sense now. When Sachi had first been taken into custody and searched, a remote device had been found on her. At the time, no one had recognised it for what it truly was. Now, they knew.

    Two Humvees carried the team to the coordinates. The drive was short, and the moment they arrived, it was clear they were in the right place. Among the scattered leaves and undergrowth, something was... off. A pile of leaves seemed to float in mid-air, unnaturally suspended.

    Sam pulled out the recovered device and activated it. A shimmer rippled through the air like a heat mirage, distorting reality for a brief moment; then, with a flicker, the cloak dropped.

    A ship stood before them, sleek and compact, partially sunken into the soft earth.

    Cate crossed her arms, a slow smirk spreading across her face. "Looks like I have a shiny new ride."

    Cam¡¯s response was immediate. "No."

    ¡°You¡¯re no fun,¡± she shot back.

    At a touch of a control beneath a panel, a hatch hissed open. One by one, they stepped inside.

    Cate¡¯s eyes widened as she took in the interior; dim lighting casting long shadows, sleek control panels with unfamiliar yet elegant designs, and a faint hum of dormant systems waiting to be reawakened. Tyra, beside her, was equally entranced.

    In perfect unison, they both breathed out, "Wow."

    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    Inside, the ship was unmistakably Goa¡¯uld in design¡­ elegant yet oppressive. Intricate golden panels adorned the walls, etched with elaborate carvings of serpents and deities, their sinuous forms intertwining in an endless dance of power and control. Hieroglyphs ran along the borders, each one carefully inlaid with faint traces of naquadah, giving them an eerie, metallic sheen under the dim interior lights. The air smelled faintly of old metal and something else¡­ something ancient, like a space that had been sealed for far too long.

    Vala, ever curious, had already wandered toward the rear of the cockpit. "Let¡¯s see what our little stowaway might have been hiding," she murmured, running her fingers along a panel. With a knowing smirk, she tapped a hidden control.

    A section of the bulkhead slid aside with a soft hiss, revealing a compartment bathed in cold, golden light.

    Inside stood a sarcophagus.

    The reaction was immediate. Cate stiffened. Tyra took an involuntary step back. Sam muttered, "Oh, that¡¯s not good." Daniel pushed his glasses up, eyes narrowing.

    Cam let out a low whistle. "Well, that¡¯s a twist. So, our Sachi is a snake?"

    Teal¡¯c, arms crossed, regarded the sarcophagus with quiet intensity before answering. "No. She is too young. And I did not sense the presence of a symbiote."

    Cate exhaled, running a hand through her hair, her mind already working through the implications. She opened her mouth to speak...

    Tyra beat her to it. "She wasn¡¯t alone here."

    The words hung in the air like a warning.

    A heavy silence followed, the weight of the discovery pressing down on them. If Sachi hadn¡¯t been alone, then who had been with her? And more importantly; where were they now?

    The vehicles were sent back to base with their drivers. At Cam¡¯s suggestion, Cate and Tyra remained aboard the Tel¡¯tak, with Teal¡¯c at the controls. Ever vigilant, Cate watched his every move, filing it away in her memory.

    Cam exhaled sharply, rubbing a hand down his face. ¡°Wait a minute. Does this make any sense to you all?¡± He gestured toward the sarcophagus. ¡°The Alliance and the Goa¡¯uld despise each other¡­ maybe more than they do us, if that¡¯s even possible.¡±

    ¡°Your wisdom is only exceeded by your courage Colonel Mitchell.¡± Teal¡¯c told him. ¡°I do not think it is possible these two vermin of the galaxy would be working together. Something more is afoot here.¡± Teal¡¯c, deep in thought, adjusted their course, lining up an approach to the six north runway.

    ¡°Hold up Teal¡¯c, take us around again. We need to think about this some.¡± Cam felt more at ease where he was, no one else around him but close friends and the blue sky.

    Each of them look at one another for a long drawn out moment, to the point Teal¡¯c took the small ship a little south in a wide slow arc. Finally, Vala had something to say. ¡°Could we suppose Sachi had no idea who her contact was until she arrived here?¡±

    Cate looked at the dark haired woman, their thoughts were in sync. ¡°I¡¯m going out on a limb here. Sachi was possibly only told back on Vegema someone might be in contact with her at some point. And I think we¡¯ll find that quite possibly she didn¡¯t have an escape plan at all.¡±

    Daniel had been silent, brow furrowed, deep in thought as the conversation swirled around him. Then, like a thunderclap, he slapped his thigh. ¡°The assassination attempt! That¡¯s it!¡± He turned to Tyra, eyes sharp behind his glasses. ¡°If she had been schooled by the Alliance, it wouldn¡¯t have been a mere warning; it would have been shoot to kill.¡±

    He looked over his glasses at the youngster, who was perched on some Goa¡¯uld packing case. ¡°Did you happen to meet Sachi on the trip here last year. Think hard on it.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have to Doctor Jackson; she was in the room next to mine.¡± The answer was straight and honest.

    He needed more. ¡°What was she like, do you remember her behaviour?¡±

    Cate thought he was verging a little on interrogation, she was about to stop him, her hand reaching for his arm. Sam saw it, shook her head, gently pulling Cate¡¯s arm away.

    ¡°Let him go,¡± She whispered.

    Neither Daniel nor Tyra noticed the interaction. ¡°Well¡­ she seemed kinda scared sometimes.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s your answer.¡± Cate said. ¡°We need to talk to her again.¡±

    No one could find an argument there, so everyone agreed. Teal¡¯c turned the ship around.

    ___________________________________________________________________________

    Secrets

    ¡°Leave us please.¡± Cate told her companions as they all stood bunched up around the door of Sachi¡¯s cell. They all concluded that they¡¯d most likely get more out of her if it was just one on one. There was hesitation at the last minute.

    She waited for them to leave. Tyra lingered by the door a moment longer before she slowly left. The Lucian girl sat on her small bed; she was reading. Cate went and sat beside her, noticing the cover. ¡°The Two Towers, that¡¯s quite a read. Was there something special about it that appealed to you?¡±

    The dark haired girl turned. ¡°I know what you¡¯re trying to do, it won¡¯t work.¡± Her brow furrowed. ¡°You think you can soften me up, make me divulge more. I won¡¯t!¡± She turned her back. And there it was, Cate knew immediately she was terrified.

    Treading with caution, Cate knew this had to be treated delicately, she probed gently. ¡°Sachi, can I ask, where you at any time felt threatened by the people who set you up?¡±

    Her head snapped around. Cate had hit a nerve. She hesitated. ¡°Uh, no¡­ no.¡± Denial. She was lying. ¡°Why, why do you ask.¡± She said trying to compose herself.

    The Ancient Legacy

    ¡°What¡¯s all the fuss about?¡± Cam asked Daniel when his friend joined him in the caf¨¦. There had been a lot of running around and noise a few minutes ago. Cam even saw some engineers heading down one of the passageways with heavy drilling equipment.

    ¡°Bill Lee nearly tackled Sam in excitement when we got back. I heard him say ¡®Sam you have just got to see this!¡¯. I didn¡¯t hear him elaborate, you know our Sam; anything to do with the word ¡®Ancient¡¯ and she¡¯s on it like a terrier.¡± He thought that was quite wordy, looking pleased with himself.

    Cam was intrigued. ¡°Vala, Teal¡¯c?¡± They were nowhere to be seen. Teal¡¯c never missed breakfast; something big must be happening.

    ¡°Gone with.¡± He said. ¡°You done?¡± Daniel couldn¡¯t hide his own curiosity. He had this feeling they were on the cusp of something big.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m done. Let¡¯s go.¡± Cam pushed himself up from the table, he grabbed an apple on the way out. Not to miss a thing, his roving eye caught sight of Lieutenant Chamberlain. She was a nurse who had attended his many wounds several times back at the SGC; now working here at the Alpha Site. As he passed by, he quietly spoke her name. ¡°Aeryn.¡±

    The young woman merely smiled at him. Daniel turned his head. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Nothing.¡± Cam said, wishing he could leave Jackson to go off on his own. ¡°Nothing.¡± The two of them headed up one level, all they had to do then was to follow the noise. At a T junction not far from the gate room, those engineers Cam saw earlier were hammering into the concrete wall. They had oxy acetylene to cut through the reo bars.

    ¡°Sam?¡± He said, joining a circle of onlookers watching the progress. Big Teal¡¯c was helping carry away large chunks of concrete. Vala was there to encourage the work.

    ¡°You won¡¯t believe it Cam.¡± She told him, not even turning her head.

    ¡°Try me.¡± He said unfussed. There was little in life that phased the man.

    It was an effort to draw her eyes away from the work. Daniel absently thought this whole scene reminded him of ¡®Mad, mad, mad world¡¯, when they were digging up the suit case under the ¡®Big W¡¯. ¡°As soon as we arrived, Bill went with Doctor McKell and her team down to the base.¡± She paused. ¡°Yes, we¡¯re calling it that now. One of the first things they established was that this wasn¡¯t just some random Ancient outpost as we¡¯ve found in ruins before. This was a defence base. There are two, not one, control chairs down there.¡± Her excitement went up another level as one of the drills had broken through to an empty space. She continued. ¡°They found at least five levels, hundreds of rooms. The place as far as they could find, was about half the size of Atlantis. But that wasn¡¯t all.¡± She stopped as a large piece of concrete fell back with a loud bang.

    ¡°Aww come on Sam, don¡¯t tease.¡± Cameron told her.

    She cut to the chase. ¡°There were transporters down there. Bill wanted to know where they went. One of the IT techs who had been at both the Antarctic base and Atlantis managed to fire up the system. Cam it is still alive!¡± She knew she was causing him grief. ¡°They mapped the transporter network. One of them ends here¡± She pointed to where there was now a large hole in the wall.

    The thing about the Alpha site base, was where and how it was built. The main building, completed two years ago, after several temporary buildings, was built into the base of a small mountain. The site was chosen because of a network of existing tunnels, the locals said had been there when their ancestors arrived over a thousand years ago, courtesy of an Asgard plan to set up a base of human warriors to help them fight the Goa¡¯uld. They were known as the ¡®Cavaleiros¡¯, loosely translated from Portuguese as ¡®the horsemen¡¯. Fierce warriors who went into battle on the backs of highly trained warhorses. The network of tunnels had been used for such mundane things as wine storage and mushroom cultivation.

    As the workers opened up the wall further, Sam continued. ¡°Apparently, we utilised some existing tunnels that were a part of this system. The thing we can¡¯t figure out now, since Bill said he found where it had been, is why the Stargate was outside when we got here.¡±

    ¡°Colonel Carter, there it is.¡± One of the engineers told her. And there before them, stood the door of a transporter, not too much unlike those on Atlantis, perhaps an older version.

    Stepping over chunks of concrete, something caught Sam¡¯s eye. She picked up a piece of dark grey rock, it almost crumbled in her hand. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± She asked curiously, noticing it was a lot different to the wall material. One of the engineers on her knees looked up at her.

    ¡°This was behind our wall ma¡¯am. It was covering the door, and I guess it broke up as soon as we started drilling.¡± The young woman crushed a piece of it in her own hand. ¡°My guess it¡¯s the Ancient form of cement, there was no reinforcing for it though.¡±

    ¡°Like a plaster?¡± Sam asked.

    ¡°Ma¡¯am.¡± She nodded. ¡°Which is why I suppose it wasn¡¯t noticed when the Alpha site was built. It does blend in with the native rock.¡±

    ¡°It gets more interesting by the minute.¡± Cam observed.

    ___________________________________________________________________________

    The Answer

    The questions and answers went back and forth for a while, Cate realised at some point, Sachi had been well schooled, and for one of her age, she figured it might be something much closer to brainwashing. She did however have one more ace up her sleeve, right on time someone pipped her coms. ¡°He¡¯s here now ma¡¯am.¡± The voice told her.

    ¡°Send him down.¡± Cate kept her tone casual, giving Sachi no reason to be alarmed.

    Minutes passed. The door opened. Sachi barely glanced up¡­ then she froze.

    The book slipped from her fingers. The man standing in the doorway was impossible. Darlen Tesk. Her sergeant.

    But he wasn¡¯t dressed in the uniform she remembered. No Lucian Alliance fatigues, no battle-worn body armour. Instead, he wore the formal dark green of the Vegema infantry, polished and pristine. A deep blue sash slashed across his chest, and on his collar¡­ two gleaming bars. A Captain.

    Her mouth moved, but no words came. She had seen men defect before, seen them forced into servitude, seen them broken. But Darlen?

    ¡°Hello, Sachi,¡± he said quietly.

    She scrambled to her feet, her chair nearly tipping over. ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re with them?¡±

    Darlen didn¡¯t move. ¡°I¡¯m with us.¡±

    Her breathing hitched. She took a step back, then another. This wasn¡¯t happening. It couldn¡¯t be happening.

    Cate watched the silent battle unfold across the girl¡¯s face; the way her chest rose and fell too fast, the way she clenched her fists to stop them from shaking.

    Darlen held up a hand, palm open. ¡°I¡¯m not here to hurt you.¡±

    Sachi¡¯s jaw tightened. ¡°Then why are you here?¡±

    Cate spoke up. ¡°Because we want the truth.¡±

    Sachi shook her head, backing away until her legs hit the bed. ¡°No,¡± she whispered. ¡°No. You think you can break me?¡± She looked at Darlen, something desperate in her eyes. ¡°You think you can break me?¡±

    Darlen sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t need to.¡± He glanced at Cate. ¡°She¡¯s not ready.¡±

    Cate studied Sachi for a long moment, then nodded. ¡°Alright.¡± She turned and walked toward the door. Darlen hesitated, then followed.

    They made it halfway down the corridor before a Marine called after them.

    ¡°Captain Tesk!¡±

    They stopped, turning back. The Marine stood at the door to Sachi¡¯s room, listening to something on his earpiece. He looked up.

    ¡°She wants to talk to you.¡±

    Cate took a step forward, but the Marine shook his head. ¡°Sorry, not you, ma¡¯am. Just him.¡±

    Cate exhaled, nodding. She shot Darlen a look¡­ one last don¡¯t push too hard¡­ before stepping back.

    Darlen re-entered the room.

    Sachi sat on the edge of the bed, arms wrapped tightly around herself. She didn¡¯t look up. ¡°I don¡¯t know why I called you back.¡±

    Darlen leaned against the wall; arms crossed. ¡°Maybe you do.¡±

    A pause. Then, in a quiet, broken voice, she began to speak.

    She told him everything.

    How, in the last desperate hours of the battle, one of Horgfells lieutenants had come to her. Given her an order; shed her uniform, blend in, wait for the right moment. Given her a long-range communicator. How she had infiltrated the first batch of Tau¡¯ri pilot cadets under an alias. How she had fed intelligence back to Lucia. And then, the real horror. The moment they told her what she had to do.

    Kill Bixby.

    They had framed it as duty. A test of loyalty. The promise that if she succeeded, she would return a hero. And the unspoken threat; if she failed, if she refused; she might never see her family again.

    Darlen let the silence stretch, let her words settle.

    Then, quietly, he asked, ¡°Who was your contact?¡±

    Sachi hesitated, then exhaled a breath that was almost a sob.

    ¡°Professor Karen Parker,¡± she whispered. ¡°The maths lecturer.¡±

    Darlen¡¯s jaw tightened.

    He pushed off the wall, stepping closer. ¡°You¡¯re scared,¡± he said, quieter now. ¡°I get it. I do.¡± He knelt slightly to meet her eye level. ¡°But it¡¯s over, Sachi. You don¡¯t have to do this anymore.¡±

    She shook her head, trembling. ¡°You don¡¯t understand¡­ They don¡¯t just let people go.¡±

    Darlen didn¡¯t argue. He knew better than anyone that the Lucian Alliance didn¡¯t forgive betrayal.

    But he also knew that, for the first time since the battle, Sachi wanted a way out.

    And that was a start.

    ___________________________________________________________________________

    Darlen stood and left without another word. Outside, he found Cate waiting. She read his face immediately.

    ¡°Who?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Karen Parker.¡±

    Cate blinked. ¡°No, it can¡¯t be. That doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± Darlen replied grimly.

    Cate exhaled, pressing her radio. ¡°Colonel Bixby, we have a problem.¡±

    A moment later, Michelle Bixby¡¯s voice crackled back. ¡°Who is it?¡±

    Cate hesitated, then sighed. ¡°Parker.¡±

    Silence. Then: ¡°No. That¡¯s not possible.¡±

    ¡°It is,¡± Cate said. ¡°Sachi gave her up.¡±

    Another pause. Then Michelle¡¯s voice returned, more subdued, almost reluctant. ¡°Cate, I have lunch with Parker almost every day. She¡¯s a friend, she was in the first of us to arrive at the Alpha Site six years ago.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s also a Lucian agent,¡± Cate said grimly. ¡°And I think she must have been playing us for a long time.¡±

    A moment passed, then Michelle¡¯s tone hardened. ¡°Let me handle it. Quietly.¡±

    Cate turned back to the Marine sergeant nearby. ¡°Sachi is to be moved to Delta Section.¡±

    The Marine looked at her, surprised. ¡°Ma¡¯am? That¡¯s for VIP prisoners. The rooms are¡­ suites.¡±

    ¡°I know that and she¡¯s to be given decent clothing as well,¡± Cate added. ¡°We don¡¯t need her in prison orange.¡±

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±

    As they walked towards the command section, Cate¡¯s mind churned. ¡®What was it with that damn sarcophagus in the Tel¡¯tak?¡¯ It seemed like every revelation they uncovered led to something deeper, something worse.

    A short while later, Michelle¡¯s voice returned over the comms. ¡°We have Parker. She¡¯s in my office.¡±

    Cate exchanged a glance with Darlen. ¡°On our way.¡±

    ___________________________________________________________________________

    The Gene

    Bill Lee gives the go-ahead to test the transporter, and after a moment of tense silence, the device hums to life. The test is successful, and with a collective sigh of relief, SG-1, Doctor Lee, and Tyra step through, ready to continue their investigation.

    They¡¯re immediately hit with a cool, sterile atmosphere as they make their way down three levels of the Ancient complex. Bill, walking alongside them, points out that there are still five more levels below their current position, though some excavation is needed to fully access them.

    "This place is massive," Sam remarks, surveying the stone and steel architecture as they move deeper into the complex. "I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s been hidden all this time."

    Tyra, glancing around, nods. "It¡¯s like walking through a forgotten city. I can only imagine what¡¯s deeper down."

    As they reach their destination, scans confirm that the structure is slightly older than the Antarctic outpost but still within the same technological lineage, adding another layer to the mystery.

    "I¡¯m starting to think we¡¯ve barely scratched the surface," Daniel muses, his voice filled with wonder as he examines the walls.

    The team proceeds with caution, carefully navigating the ancient hallways. Eventually, they find what appears to be the original location of the Stargate; now gone. The absence raises more questions, particularly about why the Gate was moved above ground, but there¡¯s no time to investigate that now. They make a mental note to return to it later.

    "I suppose we can be thankful we built a gate room for the Stargate," Sam ponders, her eyes scanning the area where it once stood. "But you do have to question why it was moved in the first place.¡± She was aware that she had mentioned the same thing earlier, the question though, was bugging her. ¡°Was it purely functional, or something else?"

    Tyra doesn¡¯t answer right away. Instead, without realising it she leads the group onward, her eyes drawn to a strange structure just ahead. It looks like a control room; similar to what they found on Atlantis, but lacking the dial-up console. Instead, a large, enigmatic piece of equipment stands at the centre of the room, with a blank glass panel on the wall behind it.

    She steps up to it, intrigued, and runs her hand along the edge of the control. To her surprise, the equipment comes to life, lighting up and filling the screen with a deep blue hue. As the map appears, showing the immediate area around the planet, even Chekov and Hammond appear as two small blue squares in the distance.

    Tyra jerks her hand back in shock, her voice tinged with panic. "I didn¡¯t mean to break anything!" she exclaims, looking over at Sam and the others.

    Vala, standing near the back, can¡¯t help but smirk. "Oh boy," she says with mock seriousness, "looks like the Ancient gene is contagious. You¡¯ve caught the flu from Cate, haven¡¯t you?"

    Cam grins, leaning casually against the wall. "Great, now we¡¯ve got another O''Neill/Sheppard prodigy on our hands. What¡¯s next, Tyra, start glowing in the dark?"

    Sam, her tone a little more upbeat than usual, gives Tyra an encouraging smile. "Actually, I think you¡¯ve just activated something important. This tech seems like it was used for planetary defence."

    Teal¡¯c, ever the voice of calm reason, adds, "Indeed. It is likely that this was meant to safeguard this world from outside threats."

    Daniel, eager as ever to get to the heart of the mystery, steps forward, eyes glued to the map. "We should check the database. There¡¯s bound to be more information here."

    Meanwhile, Sam scans the room, her mind clearly still on Cate. "Has anyone seen Cate?" she asks, her voice laced with concern.

    Tyra looks up from the control panel, her expression thoughtful. "Yeah, last I saw her, she was questioning Sachi. But¡­" She hesitates, her brow furrowing. "I think she¡¯s been set up. The way she¡¯s acting, she¡¯s terrified of something¡­ or someone. Cate didn¡¯t say much when I left them.¡±

    Vala¡¯s teasing expression softens for a moment, sensing the tension in the room. "That sounds like Cate, she won¡¯t tell you a thing until she needs to"

    "I agree," Sam responds, her eyes narrowing slightly. "But we¡¯ll have to wait until she¡¯s ready to report. For now, let¡¯s focus on what we can learn here."

    <hr>

    Cate arrived at Bixby¡¯s office to find a red-haired woman in her mid-forties, striking in an understated way, dressed like a high school principal. She sat opposite Michelle, her expression carefully neutral. Outside, two Navy service police stood at attention, their grim faces making it clear this wasn¡¯t a casual discussion. One of them announced Cate¡¯s arrival, and Michelle waved her in.

    There was an extra chair next to Bixby. Cate took it without a word, locking eyes with Parker, who didn¡¯t so much as flinch.

    Michelle wasted no time. ¡°Is Karen Parker your real name?¡±

    A simple ¡°Yes.¡± Then silence.

    ¡°How long have you been a Lucian Alliance agent?¡±

    A flicker; so small Cate almost missed it. A muscle tightening in Parker¡¯s jaw. Still, she said nothing.

    Michelle continued, unfazed. ¡°We reviewed CCTV footage. You¡¯ve been in Sachi¡¯s room late at night, multiple times over the past few weeks. And then there¡¯s your medical history¡­¡± She slid a tablet across the desk. ¡°¡­ six years ago, you tested positive for ovarian cancer at a private clinic and admitted to the Academy Hospital in Colorado Springs, you received two treatments of chemo therapy then signed yourself out. Not long after, you were assigned to the Alpha Site. A year later, you tested again; remission. No recorded further treatment.¡±

    Cate leaned forward; voice cool. ¡°That¡¯s one hell of a recovery.¡±

    Parker exhaled slowly. ¡°You don¡¯t have much to go on, do you.¡± Her voice was steady, but she shifted slightly in her chair. ¡°And as for Sachi, I was tutoring her.¡±

    Cate tilted her head. ¡°Sure. And I suppose you just happened to come into possession of a Tel¡¯tak and a fully operational sarcophagus?¡±

    Silence again. This time, a long one.

    Then Parker sighed and muttered, ¡°You think I¡¯m a Goa¡¯uld, obviously.¡±

    Both Cate and Michelle responded in unison: ¡°Yes.¡±

    Parker lowered her head. When she raised it, her voice had changed. That unmistakable, resonant distortion.

    ¡°I am Pretaya of the Tok¡¯ra.¡±

    Cate¡¯s gut twisted, she had never met either a Goa¡¯uld or a Tok¡¯ra, but she¡¯d studied enough about them. The room felt suddenly colder.

    ¡°I was tasked years ago to infiltrate Ba¡¯al¡¯s ranks,¡± Pretaya continued. ¡°My host¡¯s body was failing; she would not have survived another year. Then Karen Parker came to us, desperate for a cure. A bargain was made.¡±

    Cate exchanged a glance with Michelle, but her gut reaction was clear; bullshit.

    ¡°That¡¯s convenient,¡± Cate said flatly.

    ¡°If you doubt me, contact Anise.¡±

    Michelle tapped the request into her tablet, sending it off to the Control Room with practiced efficiency. Across the room, Cate remained still, her expression unreadable, patience etched into every breath. The minutes stretched on. Then, ten minutes later Sergeant Cooper, the duty Gate Tech, called and gave the confirmation.

    Cate pushed back in her chair, crossing her arms. ¡°And when Ba¡¯al fell, what? You just forgot to tell Stargate Command you had switched targets?¡±

    Pretaya met her gaze, unflinching. ¡°Every time we have tried to work with the Tau¡¯ri, it has ended in disaster for us. I was placed within the Lucian Alliance to continue our intelligence efforts. I have remained undetected; until now. If you keep me here, you put every Tok¡¯ra agent inside Lucia at risk.¡± She hardened. ¡°The Alliance is not just a threat to you, Colonel. They are a threat to this entire galaxy.¡±

    Cate clenched her teeth. As much as she hated to admit it, that part was true.

    Michelle¡¯s voice was calmer. ¡°And Sachi? You changed her orders, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    Pretaya nodded once.

    Michelle let out a slow breath, but Cate wasn¡¯t done. ¡°Fine. Then answer this.¡± She leaned forward; eyes sharp. ¡°Why the sarcophagus? That doesn¡¯t exactly scream Tok¡¯ra ethics.¡±

    Something shifted in Parker¡¯s face. Her lips parted, then pressed shut. She took a slow breath, and when she spoke again, her voice was quieter.

    ¡°My father is dying.¡± She hesitated. ¡°He is too old to take a symbiote. When I received word¡­ I panicked. I stole the sarcophagus, hoping I could buy a little more time with him.¡±

    Cate wasn¡¯t sure what she¡¯d expected; but it wasn¡¯t that.

    Pretaya¡¯s eyes shone, but her voice steadied. ¡°I was too late to help her.¡± A pause. Then she said, almost bitterly, ¡°Destroy it as soon as possible.¡±

    Silence hung between them.

    Cate had been with the Stargate program for only eighteen months. In that time, she had never come face to face with an alien species. Yet here she was, speaking to a human who was merely a conduit for an alien to interact with the world. The way Karen Parker/Pretaya spoke confused her, relating to one another as separate entities on the one hand, then as a single being on the other. But she slowly began to understand their cryptic ways, and perhaps their secretive agendas. But this wasn¡¯t some abstract political manoeuvre. This was personal. And despite everything, Cate saw it for what it was; a moment of raw, human grief. It seemed as if in this case, the symbiote was letting the host control their emotions. The compassionate side of Cate, the one she had built a wall around was being assaulted. ¡°My father is dying.¡± That was the single one thing that she could relate to.

    Still, it didn¡¯t change the reality of the situation. They couldn¡¯t just let her go.

    Michelle folded her arms, nodding toward the door. ¡°We have a problem.¡±

    Cate exhaled, rubbing her temple. ¡°Yeah. If we don¡¯t get her out, the Alliance is going to start asking questions.¡±

    And if the Tok¡¯ra wanted their agent back, they were going to have to deal with Earth.

    Whether they liked it or not.

    ¡°There is one more thing.¡± Karen¡¯s voice, thick with fear, broke the silence.

    Both Michelle and Cate felt that emotion; genuine, unmasked fear. It was Cate who answered flatly. ¡°More bad news?¡±

    The other woman nodded. ¡°The Alliance is planning a large-scale attack. At this point in time, it is undecided whether it will be here or Earth.¡± Her face looked drawn with worry when she added, ¡°We need to get back there.¡± The ¡®we¡¯ was obviously both host and symbiote.

    The other two women looked startled. Michelle spoke first. ¡°When? Do you know when?¡±

    ¡°Two weeks; fourteen days.¡± She hesitated. ¡°But that was from Monday. I¡¯m already overdue.¡± She looked increasingly fearful. ¡°I need to get back.¡±

    Cate¡¯s gut tightened as she processed the timeline. Twelve days. No time at all.

    ¡°Bloody hell!¡± Cate swore. ¡°That gives us twelve days to prepare. Nowhere near enough time.¡±

    Michelle¡¯s expression mirrored Parker¡¯s growing anxiety. ¡°It¡¯ll have to be, Cate. I¡¯ll call Sam Carter up here immediately.¡±

    The tension in the room was palpable, each of them aware of how little time they had to deal with an escalating crisis¡­ and how many lives hung in the balance.

    ___________________________________________________________________________

    As SG-1 gathered around the Ancient console, Daniel¡¯s gaze shifted to Tyra, still recovering from her discovery. ¡°With young Tyra here having the gene,¡± he began, his voice low but filled with curiosity, ¡°do we have any idea how deep it runs among the people of Vegema? What if there are more like her?¡±

    Sam considered the question, her brows furrowing slightly. ¡°We¡¯ve only scratched the surface. If the gene is prevalent there, it could change everything; not just for us, but for them. There¡¯s so much we still don¡¯t understand about how it manifests in different populations.¡±

    Before they could continue, Sam¡¯s communicator beeped, the sharp tone cutting through the moment.

    ¡°Carter, we need you upstairs, now. Parker has a lot to explain.¡±

    Sam exchanged a quick glance with Cam. ¡°Copy that, Michelle.¡± She looked back at Daniel, her expression serious. ¡°We¡¯ll keep you updated. You too, Teal¡¯c, Vala.¡±

    With that, Sam and Cam made their way to the transporter elevator. They were whisked upward, arriving at Bixby¡¯s office moments later. Michelle and Cate were already inside, with Parker seated, her demeanour tense.

    Sam stepped inside, her voice sharp with urgency. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    Michelle barely glanced up. ¡°Remember that undercover Alliance agent? She¡¯s not Alliance. She¡¯s Tok¡¯ra.¡±

    Cam¡¯s brow shot up. ¡°Well, that¡¯s a plot twist.¡± He turned to Parker. ¡°You were planning on filling in the gaps here?¡±

    Parker nodded, her tone even. ¡°The Tok¡¯ra embedded me years ago to monitor the Alliance. But now, with Hallam¡¯s faction looking for allies, the balance is shifting. We have a real shot at ending this war.¡±

    Sam exchanged a look with Cam before crossing her arms. ¡°And we¡¯re just supposed to take your word for it?¡±

    Parker met her gaze, unwavering. ¡°You don¡¯t have to. But if you ignore this, Earth might be fighting this war alone.¡±

    Michelle didn¡¯t waste any time. ¡°Professor Parker has quite a story to tell us. She¡¯s Tok¡¯ra, pretending to be a Lucian Alliance agent.¡± Her tone was one of resignment, as if she had already accepted the woman¡¯s position.

    Cam leaned against the doorframe; his arms crossed. ¡°Let me guess, playing both sides?¡±

    Parker gave a sharp nod, her face unreadable, she related again the full story, then added another level to the already murky picture. ¡°The Tok¡¯ra infiltrated the Alliance to keep an eye on things. But there¡¯s more,¡± she said, her voice growing more serious. ¡°The Free Lucian movement, led by Hallam, is trying to overthrow the Alliance. They want Earth¡¯s support.¡±

    Sam¡¯s expression turned thoughtful. ¡°And what¡¯s in it for us? Why should we help them?¡±

    Parker¡¯s eyes met Sam¡¯s, unwavering. ¡°If you can help Hallam rally support from the Free Jaffa, the Serrakin, and other groups, I can guarantee the Tok''ra will be there in force. We are much stronger now than you might think. But Earth¡¯s backing is crucial to make it happen.¡±

    Sam¡¯s brow furrowed as she absorbed the weight of Parker¡¯s words. ¡°So, this isn¡¯t just about stopping the attack on Earth. It¡¯s about uniting the galaxy against the Alliance.¡±

    Parker nodded, her gaze unwavering. ¡°Exactly. If Earth throws its weight behind Hallam, we can build a coalition capable of taking down the Alliance for good.¡±

    Sam¡¯s attention flicked to Cate, then Michelle, her gaze hardening. ¡°I¡¯ll need to call Landry,¡± she said, then looked to Cam. ¡°Stay here. I¡¯ll be back with answers.¡±

    Excusing herself from the group, Sam left Bixby¡¯s office and made her way to the Stargate control room. The hum of activity in the facility was a sharp contrast to the charged atmosphere she¡¯d just left behind. The usual bustle of personnel going about their work filled the air, seemingly unaware of the gravity of what was unfolding. Sam approached the communications terminal, her movements purposeful.

    Cam looked back and forth to the others, he looked as if the whole galaxy was resting on his shoulders. ¡°It never ends, does it?¡±

    ¡°No Colonel, it doesn¡¯t.¡± Cate¡¯s face was unreadable. Inside was turmoil, she now knew what to expect.

    "Dial Earth please sergeant," Sam said to the gate technician, her voice steady despite the urgency in her mind.

    The technician nodded, swiftly entering the sequence to open the gate. Sam keyed in the code to contact General Landry as the familiar symbols began to whirl into place.

    Once the wormhole settled, the connection was established quickly. Landry¡¯s face appeared on the screen, his expression stern. ¡°Sam, what¡¯s going on?¡±

    Sam wasted no time. ¡°It¡¯s a long story sir. To be brief, Professor Parker is Tok¡¯ra. There is a hell of a lot more, and I¡¯ll brief you when I have more time.¡± She adjusted her expression, worry just fell into place. ¡°She told us not too long ago that the Alliance is planning an attack. She also mentioned the Free Lucian movement, led by Hallam, and how they¡¯re seeking Earth¡¯s support to overthrow the current regime.¡± Sam sucked in her breath. ¡°I think we should help them, sir.¡±

    Landry¡¯s face tightened. ¡°Understood Sam, SG-1 stays where you are. The Hammond and Chekov are already in position. I¡¯ll see if I can get the Apollo in the area, but it¡¯s going to take some time to coordinate. We¡¯ll need to be ready. If the Alliance targets Earth, we¡¯ll need more than just ships. You¡¯re going to have to prepare for the worst.¡±

    Sam nodded, though she knew the odds weren¡¯t in their favour. ¡°Agreed, sir. We¡¯ll hold the line here.¡±

    ¡°Good. We¡¯ll stay in touch. And Colonel; be careful.¡±

    ¡°I will, sir. Carter out.¡±

    Sam exhaled deeply, her mind racing with the implications of the conversation. After a moment of collecting herself, she turned and made her way back to Bixby¡¯s office. The door slid open, and she entered, the weight of Landry¡¯s response hanging in the air.

    ¡°The Hammond and Chekov are on standby,¡± Sam said as she rejoined the group. ¡°Landry¡¯s going to see what he can do about getting the Apollo in position. But we need to prepare for a serious fight.¡±

 The Countdown

    11 days to go:

    ¡°Fuck it!¡± Isla Spearman swore, glaring at the duty roster like it had personally insulted her. She slammed her fist against the small table in their room, rattling an empty coffee mug. Definitely not a happy camper at seven in the morning.

    The previous evening, the base had gone to DEFCON three. Orders had been issued, but details? As usual, scarce. Typical SGC protocol¡­ treat the troops like mushrooms: keep them in the dark and feed them bullshit. All they¡¯d been told was that intel suggested an imminent threat.

    From the upper bunk, a voice groaned in protest. ¡°Will you can it, Isla? I¡¯m reading something important here.¡±

    Deena Mur; half Serrakin, full-time smartass¡­ leaned over the edge of her bunk, a well-worn Batman comic in her hands. Since arriving at the Alpha Site, she¡¯d thrown herself into Earth culture with reckless enthusiasm. Given that her people had leapt at the chance to build F-302Ds under license, pilot training had expanded to include Hebridan¡¯s best and brightest. The Free Jaffa had also joined the program, which had led to some¡­ interesting dynamics.

    Isla shot her a scowl. ¡°Reading bloody DC comics isn¡¯t exactly high-class literature, Deena.¡±

    Deena smirked. ¡°Says the woman who thinks rugby commentary is Shakespeare.¡±

    Isla bristled. ¡°Oi! Rugby is culture, you heathen.¡±

    Deena arched a brow. ¡°Tell that to Cate. She¡¯s been insufferable since the Wallabies finally took the Bledisloe Cup.¡±

    Isla¡¯s nostrils flared. ¡°We don¡¯t speak of that.¡±

    ¡°Cate does,¡± Deena grinned. ¡°Loudly. Often.¡±

    Isla groaned, rubbing her face. As if today couldn¡¯t get worse; she was stuck in Cate¡¯s flight rotation. The woman didn¡¯t hate her, right? ¡­Right?

    Before she could spiral further, the base loudspeaker crackled to life.

    ¡°All flight personnel, report to Briefing Room Two.¡±

    Deena swung down from her bunk with a grin, rolling up her comic. ¡°Guess it¡¯s showtime. Try not to let your mortal enemies¡­ Cate and reality¡­ ruin your day, yeah?¡±

    Isla muttered something deeply uncharitable under her breath and grabbed her flight suit. It was going to be a long day.

    <hr>

    BR2, as it was commonly known, had once been the original Alpha Site cafeteria... back when the place was little more than a sprawl of portable buildings that made it look like a construction site. Sitting at the end of Runway North 2, it had been in the perfect spot. So, when the new base was built, BR2 had been spared the wrecking ball. It was kept for its size... large enough to seat an entire squadron of pilots.

    A protected underground tunnel connected the main complex to BR2, part of a wider network allowing personnel to move safely between key buildings in the event of an attack. The fact that BR2 itself was above ground? Pure convenience. Its smaller counterpart, BR1, was three levels below.

    At the front of the room stood three figures: Commander Neville "Dusty" Dixon, now sporting the three full bars of his new rank; Squadron Leader Cate MacGregor; and Jaryl Immar, a Free Jaffa officer known simply as Leader, his rank roughly equivalent to Cate¡¯s. They turned as the first pilots started filing in.

    At the back, SG-1 lingered near a guest... none other than Lieutenant General Jack O¡¯Neill himself. Hands shoved deep into his pockets, he was talking casually with Cam Mitchell, who mirrored his posture.

    The room filled with the usual clatter... loud conversations, boots scraping, the occasional shove between pilots who sometimes acted more like unruly school kids than military officers.

    Dusty let it go for a few seconds before speaking. Calm, firm, absolute authority.

    "Be seated. All of you."

    The noise died immediately as chairs scraped back and pilots took their places.

    "Squadron Leader MacGregor has a few words before we get to today¡¯s briefing," he added.

    Since his promotion, Dusty was now the Commander Air Group... the Alpha Site¡¯s CAG... until he received a ship posting. The Buzzards¡¯ new XO sat in the front row: Captain Mark "Batman" Kalowski, one of the squadron¡¯s most respected pilots. He was also fully prepared to Gibbs slap anyone who got out of line.

    Cate stepped forward, scanning the room.

    "Second Lieutenant Flowers," she said, her voice deceptively mild. "Sit. Down."

    Jeremy Flowers; Bahamas-born, New York-raised, and entirely too pleased with himself; was already technically in a chair. Technically.

    His backside rested on the backrest, boots planted on the seat like he was lounging on a street corner rather than attending a high-priority squadron briefing.

    Cate tilted her head slightly, expression unreadable.

    "Properly."

    Flowers hesitated. A couple of nearby pilots exchanged glances, silently betting how long he''d push it.

    In the front row, Kalowski shifted just enough to be noticed.

    Flowers got the message.

    With exaggerated slowness, he swung his legs down, dropped into a proper seated position, and leaned back like it had been his idea all along.

    Cate exhaled. Finally.

    "Good choice."

    As Isla and Deena took their seats, the half-Serrakin nudged her friend with an elbow and whispered, ¡°MacGregor¡¯s in a mood today.¡±

    Isla smirked, voice low but dripping with sarcasm. ¡°Yeah, must still be crying over the Wallabies finally winning the Bledisloe.¡±

    A beat of silence. Then¡­

    ¡°I heard that.¡± Cate¡¯s voice rang out from the front of the room, calm but carrying the unmistakable weight of authority.

    Isla winced. ¡°Ah, shit.¡±

    ¡°Spearman, to the front.¡± Cate¡¯s expression was unreadable, but the slight twitch at the corner of her mouth suggested she was enjoying this far too much. ¡°Since you¡¯ve got energy for backchat, you can show the boys and girls how to do 50 push-ups.

    Isla groaned as she pushed herself up. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±

    Kalowski leaned toward Dusty with a smirk. ¡°She¡¯s getting off easy.¡±

    Dusty shrugged. ¡°MacGregor¡¯s feeling generous today.¡±

    <hr>

    Jack O¡¯Neill muttered to Mitchell at the back of the room, ¡°Classic.¡±

    ¡°She seems to take after someone, General,¡± Cam said casually.

    Jack turned his head, as did Sam and Daniel. He put on an all-too-innocent look. ¡°Moi?¡±

    ¡°Well, what¡¯s the old saying? If the cap fits,¡± Cam told him, grinning.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have you know I hardly know the girl. But what I will tell you, Mitchell¡­ she¡¯s a mirror of her old man.¡± Jack sounded like he was proudly boasting the strengths of a good friend.

    Sam chimed in. ¡°Rumour has it you were seen talking to the Admiral last week. Not much you can get away with these days, Ja¡­ General.¡± She recovered quickly.

    ¡°What? A guy can¡¯t have coffee with an old mate in ¡°Springs? Is everyone spying on me now?¡± Jack did his best to sound offended, then turned just a shade more serious. ¡°None of you heard this from me. With all this talk about the Alliance¡¯s impending attack, I was asked to suggest someone of senior command rank who could bring a different set of tactical skills to the table.¡±

    Cam frowned slightly. ¡°Our tactical skills have done us well for some time now, General. Why the change?¡±

    ¡°The Alliance knows how we operate. We can¡¯t repeat ourselves.¡±

    Teal¡¯c nodded in agreement. ¡°A new set of rules will keep the enemy at bay.¡±

    ¡°I saw him briefly with Mrs. Admiral. Not a bad looker for a man of his age,¡± Vala added.

    All eyes turned toward her. She simply grinned.

    ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯re here, isn¡¯t it, Jack?¡± Daniel finally spoke. ¡°You¡¯re going to tell Cate she might end up working with her father?¡±

    ¡°Maybe,¡± Jack replied succinctly.

    Before anyone could say more¡­

    ¡°Heads up!¡± Cate snapped.

    Her voice carried across the room, cutting through the quiet hum of conversation. Even SG-1 and Jack, tucked away at the rear, turned their attention toward her. Cate had that effect. The briefing had begun in earnest.

    She wasn¡¯t about to hold back either. Every pilot in the room could feel the heat of her energy as she laid out deficiencies from yesterday¡¯s patrols.

    ¡°One¡­ Blue Flight¡¯s landing gaps were all over the place. Ten-second intervals are to be strictly maintained, and with just four birds, you couldn¡¯t even manage that.¡±

    Lieutenant Nick Hasley, USN, shifted uncomfortably before attempting to justify the error. He failed miserably.

    ¡°Two¡­ Red Flight was off track by a considerable margin. You have a designated racetrack flight path with specific waypoints. Captain Jin Ooso, care to explain why you chose to go sightseeing?¡±

    The FJN pilot hesitated. ¡°My wingman, Second Lieutenant Victoria Osbourne, picked something up on her scan, so we investigated.¡±

    Cate folded her arms. ¡°And that took you over a thousand klicks off course without reporting any contacts?¡±

    Ooso and Osbourne scrambled for an answer, engaging in what could only be described as verbal gymnastics. Cate wasn¡¯t impressed.

    Dusty stepped in next, shifting gears to outline today¡¯s CAP assignments. ¡°Blue Flight, first four-hour sortie at oh-eight hundred. Cate will lead. Kiwi-Two, Sparrow, and Viking, you¡¯re with her.¡±

    A low groan came from Isla, while Deena¡¯s grin was the complete opposite.

    ¡°At twelve-hundred hours, Major Mark ¡°Batman¡¯ Kalowski will take Red Flight.¡±

    Jaryl Immar picked up from there, moving on to the first Combat Space Patrol of the day. ¡°First off, a shoutout to our golden boy, Nugget. Bianchi scored his eighth confirmed kill yesterday, taking down a lone Al¡¯kesh raider.¡±

    From his seat, Cam leaned over to Jack. ¡°I watched him from the co-pilot¡¯s seat of a 402. Kid¡¯s got hands. Blew me away.¡±

    Jaryl paused before selecting the first CSP flight: two F-302s and four F-402s. ¡°Flowers, you¡¯ll be my co-pilot in Fireball, I expect nothing but professionalism, understood?¡± The Jaffa Leader had only been a part of the training program six months, to the point he had only in the last month managed to attain the required fifty hours on the 402. But Cate had singled him out as an outstanding pilot and one hell of a mentor to the younger pilots; there was no question of his status when her report on him was on Bixby¡¯s desk. Jeremy¡¯s face went an ashen grey colour, as if he had just been given his last rites.

    ¡°Crap.¡± The young man said to himself, burying his face in his hands.

    Dusty wrapped things up. ¡°One more thing; Alliance forces are still testing our defences, as Nugget¡¯s engagement yesterday shows. They¡¯re looking for a weakness. Don¡¯t give them one.¡± He glanced at his watch. ¡°Blue Flight, wheels up in ten.¡±

    The room stirred, pilots already moving with purpose.

    <hr>

    Later that night, Jack knocked on Cate¡¯s door, his usual confidence a little more subdued than usual. When Cate called out for him to come in, he stepped inside and paused, taking in the neatness of the room. It wasn¡¯t what he expected. He had imagined a chaotic mess of papers, gear, and unmade beds; a reflection of the usual pilot''s disarray. But instead, Cate¡¯s room was impeccably organized, the shelves lined with books and equipment in perfect order. She had a system, and it was damn impressive.

    Jack cleared his throat, a little thrown off by the level of calm around her. ¡°You keep a tidy room, Major.¡±

    ¡®Squadron Leader is just way too much of a mouthful¡¯, Jack thought, shaking his head at himself.

    Cate glanced up from her desk, the corners of her mouth twitching. ¡°You can sit on the edge of the bed,¡± she said, her voice casual but still carrying an edge.

    Jack gave her a curious look but did as told, sitting awkwardly at the bed¡¯s edge. He ran a hand through his hair. ¡°This isn¡¯t easy, Cate. I was asked to bring up something tonight, and¡­ well, it¡¯s about your father.¡±

    Cate¡¯s eyes narrowed, her posture straightening. ¡°My father, Will? What¡¯s this about?¡±

    Jack hesitated, clearly uncomfortable. ¡°I was asked to suggest someone with senior tactical experience, someone who could offer us a different perspective on the Alliance¡¯s movements. Your old man... they want him to come back to duty.¡±

    Cate stared at him for a beat, processing the words. ¡°You¡¯re joking.¡±

    ¡°I wish I was.¡±

    She scoffed. ¡°That¡¯s a crap plan. He should be enjoying his retirement, not getting dragged back into this mess.¡±

    Jack leaned forward, meeting her gaze. ¡°Will is the same age as I am, Cate.¡±

    Cate¡¯s eyes flashed with frustration. ¡°So what? Are you asking me to get on board with this? To just accept that my dad¡­ my dad¡­ could be in charge of something like this?¡±

    ¡°You think he wouldn¡¯t be good at it?¡± Jack asked, an eyebrow raised.

    She bit back a response, folding her arms tightly across her chest. ¡°I just think there¡¯s gotta be a better plan than this.¡±

    Jack exhaled, clearly frustrated too. ¡°I¡¯m not saying it¡¯s perfect. But your father has the experience, Cate. He¡¯s got more than just retirement behind him.¡±

    There was a long pause. Cate seemed to soften, but only just. ¡°Fine. If that¡¯s what they want, then I guess I¡¯ll have to accept it.¡±

    Jack nodded, standing up. ¡°Thanks. I know this isn¡¯t easy.¡±

    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    Cate stayed where she was, her eyes fixed on the floor for a moment. Jack hesitated before walking to the door.

    ¡°Jack,¡± she said, before he could leave.

    He turned back, meeting her gaze. ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll figure it out. But don¡¯t expect me to like it.¡±

    Jack smiled, a quiet understanding between them. ¡°Goodnight, Cate.¡±

    Cate stood at the door for a while after Jack left, her mind racing with thoughts of her father¡¯s return to duty. She could still hear his words echoing in her head. Finally, after a restless few hours, she collapsed into bed, the weight of it all pressing heavily on her chest. Sleep didn¡¯t come easily that night.

    <hr>

    At precisely 0800, Blue Flight lifted off in pairs, ten seconds apart from South 2. As they climbed, Green Flight returned from its four-hour CAP, touching down on North 3. Three minutes later, Falcon 1; the Combat Space Patrol, took to the skies. Their F-302s and F-402s went near-vertical, rocketing toward the blackness of space.

    For two hours, the respective flights ran their course. It was quiet; too quiet. To pass the time, the pilots filled the comms with typical military banter, some of it crude, most of it laced with sarcasm.

    ¡°Tell me again why we get stuck with the lower orbit runs while Falcon gets the pretty view?¡± Isla ¡°Kiwi-Two¡± Green grumbled over comms.

    ¡°Because the universe knows you¡¯d get distracted and fly into a deserted planet,¡± Deena ¡°Sparrow¡± Mur shot back.

    ¡°Oi! That was one time! And it wasn¡¯t a planet; it was a really, really big asteroid.¡±

    Cate¡¯s amused snort crackled through the radio. ¡°It had an atmosphere, Kiwi. That makes it a planet.¡±

    ¡°Technicalities.¡±

    Meanwhile, Falcon 1, high above, had their own discussions.

    ¡°Hey, Jaryl, you ever think that nebula looks like something?¡±

    ¡°Not this again¡­¡±

    ¡°I swear, it¡¯s a baby elephant. You can see the trunk.¡±

    ¡°It''s a cloud of ionised gas, Falcon-Two.¡±

    ¡°A baby elephant-shaped cloud of ionised gas.¡±

    For all the jokes, neither Cate nor Jaryl let their pilots relax too much. The Lucian Alliance was known for striking when least expected.

    Then¡­

    ¡°Baseline, this is Birdseye. We have activity. Four separate hyperspace windows just opened, 8,000 metres altitude, 1,200 klicks south of the Alpha Site.¡±

    ¡°Baseline copies, Birdseye. Can you confirm contacts?¡±

    ¡°Confirmed. Four Al¡¯kesh bombers inbound at high speed.¡±

    Blue Flight pushed forward, intercepting 400 kilometres south. The engagement was immediate and brutal. The Al¡¯kesh weren¡¯t just raiders; they were disciplined, highly skilled, and had undoubtedly studied Tau¡¯ri tactics. Their formation was tight, defensive turrets tracking fast movers with alarming precision.

    Missiles streaked across the sky, F-302s rolling to evade. Cate locked onto the lead bomber.

    ¡°Fox Two!¡±

    Her missile struck home. Fire erupted from the Al ¡¯kesh¡¯s engine, but it wasn¡¯t down yet. It twisted violently, rear gunners peppering the sky with plasma fire. Sparrow dove through, cannon blazing, scoring a direct hit on the weakened craft. It exploded.

    ¡°Splash one!¡±

    ¡°Viking, break left!... Shit, you¡¯re hit!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m losing power¡­ ejecting¡­¡±

    Viking punched out, his chute deploying just before his fighter disintegrated. The fight raged for another fifteen minutes. Finally, three Al¡¯kesh were destroyed. The last enemy bomber fled into hyperspace before they could pursue.

    Cate swore under her breath. Detection had come too late, and Jaryl¡¯s flight had never been called in.

    Back at base, Cate stomped into the debriefing room, still in her flight suit, helmet tucked under one arm. Her expression alone had people straightening in their seats. She dropped her helmet onto the table with a thud.

    ¡°Alright,¡± she said, voice deceptively calm. ¡°Who wants to tell me why the hell we didn¡¯t see those Al¡¯kesh sooner? And why Falcon Flight wasn¡¯t even considered for backup?¡±

    Silence. It was obvious to everyone she was pissed.

    Then Jaryl cleared his throat. ¡°So¡­ uh¡­ do we talk about the elephant in the room?¡±

    Cate¡¯s glare could have melted duranium.

    ¡°Not that elephant,¡± Jaryl amended quickly.

    This was going to be fun.

    And she was going to let command know exactly how pissed off she was.

    <hr>

    6 Days to Go:

    Five days had passed with relative mediocrity. There had been two other raider attacks, one from orbit that was dealt with swiftly when a lone Al''kesh had somehow emerged from hyperspace a mere thousand metres in front of the Chekov II. The barrage of defence fire from two powerful ships swiftly put an end to that plan.

    The second attack was different¡ªthree Al''kesh emerged from hyperspace within the planet¡¯s atmosphere. They were getting disturbingly precise with their destination coordinates. This time, they materialised over land, just 250 kilometres southwest of Foreston. Before any defence could be mounted, they bombed three farms and the small town of Whistler, killing seven people.

    In the Baseline Main Control Centre, Jack O¡¯Neill stood with Bill Lee, watching the situation unfold on the large tactical screen. Jack frowned and muttered, "What is it with the Alliance and threes? Three ships every damn time."

    Bill glanced at him, considering. "Could be a strategic doctrine¡ªsets up a triangular attack formation, maximising coverage. Or maybe it¡¯s superstition? Some cultures consider three a powerful number."

    Jack raised an eyebrow. "Or they just suck at basic math. I mean, three against how many of our ships? Not exactly a winning strategy."

    The impact of the attack was immediate. Michelle Bixby found herself facing an enraged local population, with the Os Cavaleiros leading the charge. Their young Rainha, Josile Serantel, was particularly volatile, expressing her fury in no uncertain terms¡­ sometimes even slipping into an archaic form of Portuguese. Sam Carter, who had known Josile since childhood, was the only one able to defuse the situation.

    Cam, watching from the sidelines, muttered to Teal''c, "You know, if she wasn¡¯t so mad all the time, she¡¯d actually be pretty."

    Teal''c, in his wisdom, raised an eyebrow. "So, is prettiness measured by the lesser degree of a woman¡¯s anger? Is Catherine MacGregor prettier by this scoring method?"

    Cam coughed. "Okay, fair point."

    But Cate wasn¡¯t focused on politics¡ªshe was furious with herself. She couldn¡¯t accept that there was no way to pre-emptively determine where the raiders might appear. Doctor McKell and Sam, two of the brightest minds in the galaxy, insisted it was an impossible task. Still, Cate worked around the clock, even dragging her science students into it. Tyra¡¯s second-year class soon found themselves deep in nerdy theoretical discussions.

    At one point, Cate, utterly exhausted and frustrated, walked up to Sam and bluntly asked, "Can you take over a lecture?"

    Caught off guard, Sam chuckled. "You want me to teach?"

    Cate shrugged, rubbing her eyes. "Better you than me. I¡¯m barely surviving advanced physics right now."

    Sam watched her walk away with a mixture of pity and affection. Over the last year, Cate had become like a younger sister to both her and Vala.

    <hr>

    3 Days to Go:

    Tension was mounting. The people on the ships, the aircrews¡ªeveryone was talking non-stop about what might happen. On the ground, the unease was even worse. Whispers spread, speculation turned into fear.

    Late one night, with 72 hours to go, Cate found herself in the Ancient Control Room¡ªnow officially referred to as such. She sat on the edge of the platform of one of the two control chairs, her chin resting on both hands, deep in thought. Something about the room nagged at her.

    Why two chairs?

    The tactical display screen behind the desk that Tyra had activated nearly two weeks ago remained blank. That was the problem. She pipped her radio to Tyra, apologising for the late hour, and asked her to come down.

    Minutes later, Tyra arrived, stifling a yawn. Cate, still fixated on the chairs, gestured toward them. "Let¡¯s both sit. Just a hunch."

    Tyra frowned but humoured her. They placed their hands on the armrests simultaneously. Instantly, a tingling sensation ran up their arms, the fine hairs on their skin standing on end. A soft hum resonated through the room. A moment later, a massive holographic display appeared above them; slowly rotating, their planet at its centre.

    The coverage was immense. They could see stars stretching light-years into the distance, and scattered among them were tiny green dots.

    "Stargates!" Cate exclaimed. "Those are Stargates."

    Tyra pointed. "What about the red and blue ones?"

    Cate had already figured it out. "Blue represents our ships¡ªor anything the system recognises as friendly. Red... must be hostile."

    Tyra hesitated. "Let me guess, you need to call Sam?"

    Cate nodded. "Hell yes."

    Tyra groaned. "Cate, it¡¯s 0200. Can¡¯t it wait until morning?"

    Cate shook her head. "No, kiddo, this is way too important."

    Minutes later, Sam arrived, rubbing sleep from her eyes. Cate quickly explained what had happened. Sam¡¯s exhaustion evaporated instantly, replaced by excitement.

    Cate and Tyra returned to the chairs, all three studying the display. The objects moved in slow motion, a representation of time and distance. Then Sam noticed something¡ªa red box glowed, then vanished, only for a faint red line to trace its former position. The box reappeared near a distant star system.

    Sam¡¯s eyes widened. "Cate, do you know what we just saw?"

    Cate and Tyra realised it at the same time. "A hyperdrive wormhole!" they said in unison.

    Cate grinned for the first time in days. "We can track them! We need an astronomer down here, now. And we need to compile a list of everyone on base with the gene¡ªor who¡¯s had successful gene therapy."

    Sam nodded. "Agreed."

    Tyra still looked confused. "An... astronomer?"

    Cate smirked. "To read that bloody map." She pointed up at the vast holographic display above them.

    Sam exhaled, glancing at the shifting patterns in the projection. She licked her lips, eyes lighting up with the thrill of discovery. "You do realise what this means, right? The mathematical permutations involved in this system tracking real-time hyperdrive trajectories? The sheer computational power necessary to factor in all the gravitational influences, the redshift differentials, the subspace interference; it¡¯s phenomenal! Oh, McKay is going to lose his mind when I tell him. I cannot wait to see his face."

    Cate gave Tyra a look and smirked. "This is why we called her."

    Tyra just sighed. "So, we are waking up an astronomer, then?"

    <hr>

    Transformation

    Cate sat cross-legged on the floor of her quarters, watching as Josile prepared the special dye. The woman from Os Cavaleiros worked with practised ease, laying out the necessary brushes and sponges. Sachi sat behind Cate, combing through her thick blonde hair with an almost reverent touch.

    "You¡¯ve got beautiful hair, you know that?" Sachi remarked, lifting a long strand and holding it up to the light.

    "Yeah, well, it¡¯s about to be a casualty of war," Cate grumbled.

    Sachi chuckled but then sucked in a sharp breath as she caught sight of Cate¡¯s back. The scars, souvenirs of a regime that reminded her of the Alliance, North Korea, crisscrossed her skin like a brutal tapestry of past battles. Some were thick and raised, others thin and faded, but all told a story.

    "Do they still hurt?" Sachi asked quietly, brushing her fingers lightly over a particularly deep one near Cate¡¯s ribs.

    Cate snorted. "Only when I laugh."

    Josile, working on mixing the dye, glanced up and took in Cate¡¯s physique with an appreciative nod. "You are built like a true warrior," she mused, eyes scanning the muscle definition in Cate¡¯s arms and shoulders. "Strong, but fast. A predator, not just a fighter."

    Cate rolled her eyes. "I feel like a bloody art project."

    Josile smiled as she dipped her brush into the dye. "Then let¡¯s make you a masterpiece."

    <hr>

    The Morgue

    After Cate¡¯s transformation it was Sachi¡¯s turn and the cold, sterile smell of the morgue never failed to make Cate wrinkle her nose. Sachi lay motionless on the table, her face pale under the dim lights. The mortician worked quickly, applying subtle shading to make her appear convincingly dead.

    Daniel stood nearby, arms crossed, looking thoroughly uncomfortable.

    "This is morbid," he muttered, watching as the mortician added a touch of blue under Sachi¡¯s fingernails.

    "Welcome to espionage, Jackson," Cate said dryly.

    Sachi cracked an eye open and grinned. "I feel like I should be getting paid for this."

    Daniel gestured to her body with a smirk. "I think technically you¡¯re a corpse, so you¡¯re not entitled to wages. Bit of a loophole there."

    Sachi groaned. "Great, I died for free."

    The mortician snapped a picture of her, adjusting the body bag just so. Cate leaned over and gave Sachi¡¯s shoulder a squeeze. "Just hold your breath and think of home."

    Daniel raised an eyebrow. "That¡¯s what they say when you¡¯re about to get punched in the stomach."

    Cate smirked. "Same principle."

    <hr>

    Control Room ¨C The Ships Discussion

    The main control room; Baseline, was alive with activity. Michelle stood near the central display, arms folded as Hallam¡¯s message played back. The estimated enemy fleet numbers flickered on the screen.

    Cam leaned in with a thoughtful hum. "Twelve minimum, twenty-eight maximum. And I swear, the Lucian Alliance has a thing for threes."

    Bixby raised an eyebrow. "You think they¡¯re superstitious?"

    "I know they are," Cam replied. "You ever notice their fleet movements? Everything comes in multiples of three. Squads, patrols, even their damn ration packs are packed in threes."

    Teal¡¯c, who had been silent, finally spoke. "Among many cultures, three is considered a sacred number¡ªsymbolic of balance, wisdom, and completeness."

    Cam grinned. "Yeah, except in this case, it¡¯s just making our math harder."

    Jack, who had been listening from the upper level, chimed in. "So, do we just assume the worst-case scenario and prep for twenty-eight ships?"

    Michelle exhaled. "I think they¡¯ll keep a couple back for home defence. That leaves¡­ let¡¯s say twenty-four, at best."

    Cam whistled. "Hell of a fight incoming."

    Jack clapped his hands together. "Alright, people. Let¡¯s get ready to make their math our problem."

    <hr>

    Departure:

    The hangar at the end of the Alpha Site¡¯s runways, buzzed with energy, but the moment felt strangely intimate. Cate stood in front of her friends, a sea of familiar faces watching her with a mix of pride and worry.

    Vala hugged her first, squeezing tight. "You¡¯re either the bravest person I know, or the craziest."

    Cate smirked. "Why not both?"

    Sam was next, holding Cate¡¯s shoulders as she searched her face. "We¡¯ll be here, Cate. If anything feels wrong, you get out."

    "I will."

    Teal¡¯c bowed his head slightly before embracing her briefly. "Return to us, Little Sister."

    Daniel patted her arm, offering a small smile. "Try not to get into too much trouble."

    "No promises."

    Tyra hesitated before stepping forward, squeezing Cate¡¯s arm. "Don¡¯t do anything stupid."

    Cate grinned. "Then what¡¯s the point of going?"

    The biggest surprise came when Jack O¡¯Neill pulled her into a firm hug. He held on longer than the others, then pulled back and masked whatever emotion he was feeling with a trademark smirk. "Just don¡¯t get caught. I really don¡¯t wanna have to explain this to the elder MacGregors."

    Cate chuckled. "Noted."

    <hr>

    Final Warnings from Darlen:

    As Cate and Karen finished final preparations, Darlen pulled Cate aside. His usually easy-going expression was replaced by something more serious.

    "Alright, listen," he began, lowering his voice. "Lucia¡¯s got a strict way of doing things. The military is everything. If someone higher ranked speaks, you don¡¯t interrupt. Keep your head down in public, and whatever you do, don¡¯t mock their honour code."

    Cate smirked. "I¡¯d never dream of it."

    Darlen exhaled sharply. "I mean it, Cate. They live and breathe that stuff. Oh, and when you meet Hallam, don¡¯t shake his hand."

    Cate frowned. "Why?"

    "Because in Lucia, shaking hands is something you only do after signing a treaty or forming an alliance. It¡¯s big."

    Cate raised an eyebrow. "That¡¯s a bit dramatic."

    Darlen grinned. "Says the woman pretending to be a dead soldier from a war-torn planet."

    Cate laughed. "Fair point."

    As they made their way toward the Tel¡¯tak, Cate threw one last look back at her team, then turned forward. Time to become Rosmalin Soosa.

    <hr>

    The revelation:

    Getting to PH7-H88 without an event went reasonably well. Cate¡¯s effort of paying attention to Teal¡¯c had paid off as well when Karen let her "fly" the Tel¡¯tak for a while. There was one small hold-up; they were challenged by a Tok¡¯ra ship, which to Cate¡¯s surprise was pre-arranged. It was Karen¡¯s way of reporting in and getting any new orders if they were to be had.

    Here they were, two little ships, hung on an invisible string in the blackness of space. Sitting in the Tel ¡®Tak¡¯s cockpit, Cate watched as a large screen activated in front of them, revealing a familiar face.

    "Anise," Karen acknowledged.

    The Tok¡¯ra woman nodded curtly. "Your progress is satisfactory. We have no further intelligence regarding Hallam, but you are reminded of the importance of his cooperation."

    Cate folded her arms, already irritated by the tone. "Right. Because I got dolled up like this for a Halloween party."

    Anise¡¯s expression didn¡¯t flicker. "Your discomfort is irrelevant. The mission is paramount."

    Cate exchanged a look with Karen, who gave the smallest shake of her head. It wasn¡¯t worth the argument.

    Then came the bombshell. "Pretaya, you are also reminded of your secondary objective. Sachi''s family must be extracted from Lucia. This was the arrangement."

    Cate stiffened. "You''re telling me this now?" Cate turned sharply toward Parker. "You already knew about this?"

    "Of course," Karen admitted. "I didn¡¯t want to say anything earlier, in case you had second thoughts. And I was right."

    "Fuck that!" Cate exploded. "This mission is dangerous enough without adding another bloody layer to it!"

    As expected, both Anise on the screen and Karen in the cockpit remained impassive until Cate was done. After a beat, Anise merely asked, "Are we finished?"

    Cate clenched her jaw but forced herself to settle down. She wasn¡¯t an easily forgiving woman, though, and she still bristled. "Right." She turned to Karen, deliberately ignoring the screen. "Since you''ve been back to Lucia twice now, did you happen to do any recon? Where are they? How many? How do we get them out?"

    It was like pulling teeth. Slowly, Karen relented. "They live in the south side of Lucia City. Comparable to... the Bronx in New York, perhaps. Their mother is a widow. Sachi has a younger brother, Dane; fourteen, and a sister, Elka is eleven."

    "It just gets better and better," Cate said blandly. Then she turned back to Anise/Freya. "We don¡¯t have much time. Any obstacles along the way?"

    "The situation remains unchanged. Your task is difficult but not impossible." Anise tilted her head slightly. "You are a brave and daring young woman, Catherine."

    There it was; that damn patronising tone. Cate forced herself not to roll her eyes. "Great. Last words?" she asked Karen.

    "No," came the simple reply.

    An hour later, they landed near the Stargate on PH7-H88, a desert planet with little appeal. Karen gave Cate a once-over, inspecting the fake sutures on her forehead. "You¡¯ll pass quite well."

    Cate snorted. "Unlike Anise."

    Karen blinked. "What about her?"

    Cate shook her head. "She¡¯s a piece of work, isn¡¯t she? Treats us like simpletons and looks like she¡¯s about to do a photoshoot for a bloke¡¯s wank magazine."

    Karen''s mouth fell open in genuine shock. "My god, why would you say such a thing?"

    Cate smirked, a wicked gleam in her eyes. "Come on. Her lips look like she''s had one too many trips to the salon for Botox, and those boobs? Every sixteen-year-old boy''s dream of a hot date."

    Karen still looked flabbergasted but then; realisation dawned, and she burst out laughing. Cate''s expression shifted, and she joined in.

    <hr>

    Questions and answers:

    When the door slid open, it appeared hostilities for Cate weren¡¯t left behind. Two very strange-looking aliens stood there, brandishing guns. Her Zat was in her hand quicker than a blink, and both of them did blink. One was obviously female, and the wet stain around her crotch told Cate she hadn¡¯t been doing whatever it was for very long. A gentle hand from Karen lowered Cate¡¯s arm as she stepped forward.

    "Set, Densa, I¡¯d like you to meet Mahor Rosmalin Soosa. She managed to escape from the Tau¡¯ri on their Alpha Site."

    Set, thick-bodied and broad-shouldered, narrowed his eyes. Oranians weren¡¯t exactly known for their intelligence, but they weren¡¯t fools either. His suspicions rose immediately when Cate had raised her weapon; why would a fellow Lucian Alliance member react like that? It wasn¡¯t as if he and Densa were being overtly hostile. His kind had been allied with the Alliance for years; this dark-skinned woman should know that.

    Karen caught the flicker of doubt in Set¡¯s expression and pressed on quickly. ¡°She¡¯s suffered a severe concussion. At the moment, Rosmalin has amnesia, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯s temporary.¡± She gave Cate a small shove forward, urging her down the ramp. ¡°She¡¯ll get the right treatment at home.¡±

    While plausible, Cate wasn¡¯t sure Set was buying it. His next words confirmed her suspicions.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard the Tooree treat their prisoners well.¡± He scratched his chin, his gaze lingering on Cate. ¡°Would they not take care of her?¡±

    Unease prickled at the back of Cate¡¯s mind. This was getting messy, fast. Karen had better come up with something quick, or plan B was about to be activated. That would mean shooting, death, and pain¡­ and it wouldn¡¯t be hers.

    A quick glance at their surroundings revealed no immediate tactical threats. Sandy hills of burnt orange stretched around them, dotted with stunted trees and what looked like ancient ruins about two hundred metres or more from the gate. No other ships. Set and Densa had come via the gate. But why?

    Karen, sensing Set¡¯s hesitation, smoothly layered another level of the lie. Cate exhaled through her nose. God, I hope she has a good memory.

    Then something shifted. A feeling; an instinct buried deep in her bones. The hairs on her arms prickled. Something was wrong.

    Flashback.

    Northwest Afghanistan. Five years ago.

    A wadi, dry and wide beneath the relentless sun. Jack Voor stood beside her, a man just a year or two older, former US Army Ranger turned CIA operative. Together, they approached two Taliban men, a chief and his aide. A prisoner exchange. Twelve Taliban fighters, including Abdul Hassi, one of the worst, for two of their own; a US Air Force combat medic and an Australian Army engineer.

    A crack split the air. The sniper¡¯s shot came from nowhere.

    The ¡®Chief¡¯ collapsed, dead before he hit the ground. The 7.62 round passed clean through him, still carrying enough force to punch into Jack¡¯s throat. He staggered. Another shot rang out, and Cate¡¯s world turned black.

    Blink.

    Like replayed footage, she saw the rest. Australian SAS and Navy SEALs had been on overwatch. She woke up in a field hospital, a Kevlar vest the only thing between her and death. The second round had hit her in the chest, the impact stopping her heart just long enough to knock her out. The captives were recovered. The exchange never took place. The Taliban retaliated viciously. Someone, somewhere, had decided that Abdul Hassi would never be set free. Cate had spent weeks wanting a name; someone to blame.

    Blink.

    The memory shattered. Reality snapped back into place. Cate¡¯s breath hitched¡­

    Crack!

    ¡°Down!¡± The word escaped before she registered it. Cate shoved Karen back into the Tel¡¯tak, her body reacting before her mind fully caught up. Two paces to Densa. She lunged, tackling the other woman just as another shot split the air. Cloth and flesh tore from Densa¡¯s right calf. Set threw himself over them both, shielding them with his own body. Densa let out a strangled cry.

    Cate rolled free, already barking orders. ¡°Get her inside and stay there!¡±

    Set hesitated.

    ¡°Move!¡±

    With Karen¡¯s help, he managed to drag Densa into cover as Cate took off at a crouched run. She had no plan; just a Zat, which wasn¡¯t much good for range. Zigzagging through the scrub, she used the terrain for cover, heading for the ruins. Two hundred metres. Her ribs ached. Her breath came sharp and fast.

    As the shot had rung out, she¡¯d done a mental triangulation. The sniper was moving. Twenty metres to the ruins.

    There. A flicker of movement. Cate surged ahead, using the jagged limestone remains to obscure her approach. A rustle of fabric. Her instincts screamed.

    She struck. Her arm came up, slamming into the sniper¡¯s neck. A body tumbled backward, hitting the ground with a dull thud. Cate stepped forward, Zat raised.

    ¡°What the fu¡­¡±

    The would-be assassin was a girl. A teenager, dressed in rough brown clothing, her face smudged with dirt, dark hair matted and unwashed.

    The girl spat at her feet. ¡°You can kill me now, Lucian. I won¡¯t reveal a thing to your filthy kind.¡±

    Cate exhaled sharply. What in God¡¯s name have I gotten myself into?

    <hr>

    The healer:

    Without hesitation, Cate dropped to one knee, pinning the girl¡¯s chest with the other. She seized the wrist holding the rifle, squeezing until the weapon slipped free. Her eyes flicked to it, widening in surprise. An M24. US Army issue. The kind used by SG teams.

    Why? How?

    Keeping her voice low, she asked, ¡°Who are you?¡± Immediately, she knew that wouldn¡¯t get the answer she wanted. ¡°I¡¯m not Lucian. I¡¯m from Earth. Tau¡¯ri.¡±

    ¡°Why should I believe you?¡± The girl¡¯s voice was hoarse, edged with fear.

    Damn, this was hard. Not exactly what Cate had signed up for. ¡°Because¡­¡± She shoved the rifle out of reach. ¡°¡­I haven¡¯t killed you.¡±

    She relaxed her grip, grabbed the rifle, and stood. ¡°Get up.¡± The lack of a direct threat should help. She extended a hand, her gaze sweeping over the shortest column of stunted stone nearby.

    With a grunt, the girl obeyed. ¡°You seem different¡­ why are you with them?¡±

    Cate didn¡¯t have much time. Set might grow suspicious. She had to make this fast. ¡°I¡¯m here to stop a war; and to stop the Alliance. That¡¯s all you need to know.¡± She tilted her head toward the little ship. ¡°But I need answers, and quickly, before that creature over there comes sniffing around. Who are you? Why were you shooting at us?¡±

    The girl hesitated. Something in the dark-skinned woman¡¯s manner put her at ease. Something told her she was telling the truth. ¡°I am Marta. My people are the children of Tefnut.¡± Her eyes welled with tears. She began to shake. ¡°We are exiles, hunted. The Alliance came to this world offering peace and sanctuary. They brought only death.¡±

    Pieces of a puzzle. Something for Cate to figure out later. Not now.

    ¡°Where is your home? Your family?¡±

    ¡°Beyond the plains. A day¡¯s march.¡±

    Cate exhaled, glancing back toward the ship. The door was hidden from view. Not good. In one smooth motion, she handed the rifle back to Marta. ¡°Go. Run. Tell your people to move. The Alliance will return¡­ and they will hunt you.¡±

    Nothing more needed to be said. But as she turned, Cate added, ¡°I will be back. I promise.¡±

    Then, she ran back to where it had all begun. To her relief, all three were still inside. Only Densa¡¯s cries broke the silence.

    ¡°Did you find them?¡± Set growled.

    They had wrapped a bandage around Densa¡¯s leg, but it was still bleeding badly. She wouldn¡¯t last long; not without proper care. If the blood loss didn¡¯t kill her, infection would.

    ¡°It hurts, it hurts,¡± the wounded female sobbed.

    Cate felt for her. Technically an enemy, but right now, that didn¡¯t matter. No way in hell was she going to let someone die when she could do something about it.

    ¡°What have you done so far?¡± she asked, keeping up her pretence.

    Her head tilted half a degree toward Set. ¡°They ran. I tried to catch them, but they were too far ahead, and this... ¡± she yanked the Zat from its holster ¡°¡­ is useless at range.¡± She took on an authoritative tone. ¡°Now tell me, what have you done for Densa?¡±

    ¡°We applied a combined dressing and bandage. I didn¡¯t know what else to do,¡± Karen admitted, panic in her voice.

    Cate frowned. ¡°From the Tau¡¯ri field dressing kit?¡±

    ¡°Uh-huh,¡± Parker confirmed.

    Cate had assumed the Tok¡¯ra would have some idea how to handle a field injury. Apparently not. The green bag lay on the floor, and she grabbed it, turning it upside down. The contents spilled beside her, and she quickly sorted them into order. Everything she needed was there.

    She peeled back the dressing and inspected the wound, just as she had done countless times before. ASIS agents were trained in advanced field medicine. Cate put that training to use.

    Using saline, she cleansed the wound thoroughly, making sure there was nothing left behind that could cause infection.

    ¡°We need to give her pain medication. And I need to numb the wound.¡± Her hand hovered over the vials of morphine and lidocaine.

    Come on, Karen. Help me out here.

    Cate caught the other woman¡¯s eyes. Two blinks. Affirmative.

    The question remained; was the Oranian physiology close enough to human? Could they tolerate Tau¡¯ri medications?

    Apparently, they could.

    She loaded a syringe with morphine first, slipping the needle into Densa¡¯s arm and pressing the plunger down with steady precision. ¡°This will help,¡± she said, her tone calm. ¡°It¡¯ll take the edge off, but you¡¯ll still feel pressure.¡±

    Densa whimpered but relaxed slightly as the drug took effect.

    Cate switched syringes, drawing up the lidocaine next. She pressed the needle into the skin around the wound in measured increments, numbing the area efficiently. Densa flinched at first but barely reacted as Cate finished.

    One stitch at a time, she worked methodically, looping the suture through torn flesh with the precision of someone who had done this before. The wound was deep but clean¡ªeasier to close. Almost done.

    She tied off the last stitch, clipped the thread, and pressed a fresh bandage over the wound. ¡°That¡¯ll hold,¡± she said, securing it in place. ¡°You¡¯ll need antibiotics, but you¡¯re not going to bleed out now.¡±

    Densa¡¯s eyelids fluttered. Relief? Gratitude? Hard to tell.

    Set watched the entire process in silence before finally scoffing. ¡°Fascinating,¡± he muttered. ¡°I thought you had no memories. And yet you do this so easily.¡±

    Karen didn¡¯t hesitate. ¡°Rosmalin serves as a medic with the 43rd Lucian Infantry battalion. This is part of who she is; not something from her past.¡±

    Set studied Cate for a moment longer before giving a grunt of approval. ¡°Perhaps.¡±

    Cate ignored him, already focusing on the next step. Densa was stable, but there was still a war to stop.

 Revelations

    Revelations:

    Heat shimmered over the sand, twisting the air in ghostly waves. The Tel ¡®Tak¡¯s loading ramp was still lowered, casting a long shadow across the cracked earth. A dry wind stirred the scrubby trees, whispering through brittle branches. The last light of the evening painted the horizon in hues of orange and violet, but the beauty of it was lost on the three figures locked in a tense argument.

    Set¡¯s voice was low but forceful. "She is not going back to Lucia. It¡¯s too dangerous."

    Karen stood her ground, arms crossed. "She won¡¯t make it out here. She needs proper care."

    Densa, pale but conscious, lay propped against the Tel ¡®Tak¡¯s interior wall, her right leg stretched out, the bandage wrapped around her calf. The pain meds had dulled her expression, but she was still alert enough to register the conversation. Cate knelt beside her, checking her pulse; steady, but her skin was still clammy. She kept out of the argument, knowing that saying too much might expose her fa?ade.

    "I will not risk her life," Set insisted.

    "And I won¡¯t let her die out here," Karen shot back. ¡°Your wife is pregnant, did you know that?¡± She didn¡¯t, but Pretaya did.

    ¡°Yes!¡± he shot back. ¡°Yes, and she will see the next eight months through!¡± There was a heat in his words, but slowly both Karen and Cate could see he knew he was on the losing end of an argument.

    ¡°Eleven months? Wow!¡± Cate thought as she took in all he said.

    The tension stretched, taut as a bowstring, until finally, Set exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "Fine. But she stays with you. If she worsens, I will come for her."

    Cate glanced up as he turned, adjusting the strap of his weapon. "And where are you going?"

    Set¡¯s expression darkened. "To hunt. The assassin is still out there."

    As he strode into the desert, vanishing into the shifting dusk, Cate turned her attention back to Densa. The woman¡¯s breathing had evened out, her body finally succumbing to exhaustion.

    Karen muttered, "This is a mess."

    Cate wasn¡¯t about to argue, and she wasn¡¯t sure the right time would come again. Instead, she took a breath and said, "I need to tell you the truth about the sniper. And about the girl."

    Karen looked at her, brow furrowed. "The girl?"

    Cate nodded slowly. "The girl is from a hidden people; descendants of Tefnut''s people, the ones who first rebelled against Ra¡¯s cruelty. They were among the first to rise up against his reign, even before Egeria''s rebellion began. Her people have been in hiding for generations, fleeing Ra¡¯s wrath, the Goa¡¯uld and now the Lucian Alliance."

    Karen¡¯s expression darkened, her arms still crossed, but now her voice carried a trace of disbelief. "Wait. So, these people; this girl¡¯s ancestors, were part of the rebellion against Ra? And they¡¯ve been running ever since?"

    Cate nodded again. "Yes. They¡¯ve been hunted by the Goa¡¯uld for centuries, and now they¡¯re facing the Lucian Alliance. But they¡¯ve never had a safe place to call home."

    The silence lingered for a moment before Karen spoke again, a hint of frustration in her voice. "Does she have a name?"

    Cate hesitated before answering. "Marta."

    Pretaya, who had been quiet until now, spoke up. "That is strange."

    Cate looked at her, brow raised. "What do you mean?"

    Pretaya¡¯s tone was thoughtful. "Marta was one of Egeria''s first ¡®children,¡¯ one of the beginnings of the Tok''ra. That name... it¡¯s not something I expected to hear, given what you¡¯ve told me."

    Cate¡¯s expression shifted, a flicker of understanding passing through her. "It¡¯s all connected. And that¡¯s why I made the promise; to find them, to help them, to give them a chance."

    "And you promised to go back for them?" Karen said, disbelief laced in her voice.

    "Yes."

    Karen scoffed. "That was reckless. You don¡¯t know if you can keep that promise. And how exactly do you plan on finding them? After telling the girl her people should flee?"

    Cate¡¯s reply was simple. "It¡¯s what I do."

    Karen met Cate¡¯s eyes, her expression now grim but with a clearer understanding. "This is a bigger mess than I thought."

    Cate didn¡¯t argue. She simply exhaled, the weight of the truth hanging in the air. The night stretched on, the soft hum of the Tel ¡®Tak¡¯s power module lulling them into a restless silence.

    They made camp for the night, setting up inside the Tel ¡®Tak¡¯s cramped quarters. After a while, Karen pulled out some MREs she had packed. Densa stirred awake for this part, and Karen; knowing the Oranians and their food tastes, had made sure to include some spicy curries. The rich, pungent aroma filled the cramped space, and Cate couldn¡¯t help but smile at the familiar scents. Spicy food was something that appealed to her as well. Sleep was hard to come by, though. Between the unfamiliar sounds of the ship and Karen¡¯s occasional snoring¡­ loud enough that Cate considered recording it for future blackmail; morning couldn¡¯t come soon enough.

    By dawn, Densa was awake and determined to move. With a makeshift crutch fashioned from a scavenged support beam, she was able to stand. It wasn¡¯t graceful, but it would do.

    As they prepared to depart, Cate stretched with a groan. "I barely slept. You snore, loudly."

    Karen shot her a look. "No, I don¡¯t."

    "Yes, you do."

    "Lies."

    Pretaya, silent until now, sighed heavily. "Even a symbiote needs their rest. The woman is like a woodcutter¡¯s camp."

    Cate smirked, while Karen sputtered indignantly. "Traitor."

    An hour later, they stepped through the Stargate, Karen dialling the symbols with practiced ease. The shimmering blue event horizon snapped into place with a familiar rush of energy. Leaving the desert behind, they stepped through, the watery veil swallowing them whole.

    <hr>

    Lucia:

    The first thing that struck Cate was the architecture. Tall, imposing columns framed the massive hall housing the Stargate, reminiscent of Central Station in Sydney. She had expected something more primitive, but instead, it was almost grand. The Lucians had even taken a page from the SGC¡¯s book, placing weapons similar to .50 calibre machine guns in strategic locations. It was eerily familiar.

    But it wasn¡¯t heavily guarded. That was telling.

    Parker led the way, her usual confidence in place as they walked through the hall to a reception area towards the exit onto the street. Within moments, they were face to face with Erim Snerd. Cate had an immediate reaction to him¡­ dislike. The man oozed sleaze, like a used-car salesman who knew every trick in the book.

    He smiled, all teeth. ¡°Parker, my dear. You made it back.¡±

    Karen didn¡¯t waste time with pleasantries. ¡°I have four hours.¡±

    Snerd nodded. ¡°Yes, and just enough time to witness something spectacular. The fleet departs soon.¡±

    Cate kept her face blank as he bought Karen¡¯s cover story without question. He took the false intel about the Alpha Site, not even bothering to scrutinize it. Either he was desperate for information, or he was simply that arrogant. Cate figured it was a bit of both. The way he kept leering at her, she wanted to deck him. And she wasn¡¯t deaf either, she heard the muffled comment he made to himself about her assets, she wanted to scream.

    <hr>

    With that out of the way, they had their next objective: Hallam and Sachi¡¯s parents. Time was against them, and the dimming light of day signalled that night was fast approaching, an ominous reminder of the dangers that lay ahead.

    Lucia was a city of contrasts, a strange and unsettling blend of retro and sci-fi that seemed out of place yet entirely fitting for the Alliance¡¯s twisted reign. Towering, crumbling buildings with faded fa?ades gave the city a 1930s feel, the kind of place where history was both alive and long gone. Yet, just beyond the smoke-streaked skyline, Cate¡¯s eyes caught sight of the troopships; Goa¡¯uld-made, their golden hulls gleaming in the fading light; being prepped for war. The Lucians, with all their bravado, did not have the means or the skill to craft their own ships; instead, they relied on stolen technology, their stolen victories repurposed for the next conquest. There was a coldness to it, the way they had twisted every inch of their spoils into weapons of terror. The one thing she noticed that wasn¡¯t stolen, were the guns. They were everywhere and of every shape imaginable. Soldier¡¯s though, seemed to have all been issued with this over and under double barrelled thing, which according to what she had heard was incredibly unreliable.

    As they moved quickly through the streets, their footsteps muted against the cracked pavement, Cate¡¯s mind raced. The mission was simple in its objective, but the implications were anything but.

    Reaching Karen¡¯s apartment took less than ten minutes, but it felt like an eternity. The air around them seemed to thicken with the weight of their task. The city¡¯s streets, shadowed by the looming towers, felt like a labyrinth. Cate was acutely aware of every second slipping away; each moment bringing them closer to their confrontation, each second bringing them closer to danger.

    Karen disappeared to scout a route to Hallam¡¯s HQ, her presence vanishing into the darkening streets. Cate settled by the window, her gaze drawn to the horizon. The last glimmers of sunlight gave way to the deep blues and purples of the encroaching night. It was almost beautiful in its tragic calm, but the stars twinkling overhead only served to deepen the gnawing dread in her stomach. She could feel the tension creeping in, the oppressive weight of the looming night. The city¡¯s silence felt like a heavy breath before the storm.

    Thirty minutes passed.

    The door creaked open, and Karen entered, her coat torn, blood smeared across her forehead. The look in her eyes said everything before she spoke. "Ran into a cop. He got nosy."

    Cate¡¯s eyebrows rose, her gaze flicking to the blood. ¡°Dead?¡±

    Karen smirked, a hint of dark amusement in her voice. "Nah. Cuffed him to a drainpipe and stuffed a hanky in his mouth. Fat pig."

    There was no time to waste. Parker mapped out the route for her companion, explaining in this dilapidated city, a trip across a few rooftops was to be made.

    Cate could feel the shift in the air¡­ there was no turning back now.

    <hr>

    He who would be King:

    A walk to Hallam¡¯s estate should have taken fifteen minutes. For Cate, it felt like hours. Every step was a calculated risk, a game of cat-and-mouse. The streets were crawling with patrols, their harsh boots echoing against the stone. Cate kept to the shadows, slipping through narrow alleys, ducking behind rusted crates, even scaling the rooftops when she had to. She knew every corner, every crevice, every place to hide. But she was far from comfortable. The air felt too thick, the city too quiet; like a predator waiting to strike.

    Three guard checks later, she arrived at the mansion. The towering doors loomed in front of her, flanked by two armed guards, who nodded to her as she passed; her identity already secured through Karen¡¯s network. The estate was more imposing than she had imagined. Hallam¡¯s wealth was obvious in every detail; the sprawling gardens, the gleaming marble steps leading to the main entrance, the golden chandeliers visible through the windows. This was a man who knew power¡­ and knew how to wield it.

    Inside, the atmosphere was even more opulent. The dining room gleamed with crystal and silver, the servants moving like shadows in the background, their faces neutral. Everything screamed wealth, control, and authority. But Cate wasn¡¯t here for pleasantries. She was here for business.

    Hallam was waiting, lounging at the head of the table, his presence magnetic. Sandy hair, a carefully groomed goatee, a smile that disarmed even the most cautious. He rose as she entered, his movements graceful, almost theatrical. ¡°Ah, Cate. Or should I say ¡®Major¡¯? It¡¯s a pleasure.¡±

    Cate offered a tight smile but didn¡¯t waste time with formalities. ¡°I¡¯m on a clock, and it¡¯s Squadron Leader, but Major will do.¡± she said, her voice steady despite the pulse of nerves she felt.

    He nodded, but there was a slight tension in the air. His eyes, warm and dark, studied her with the intensity of someone who saw a challenge. ¡°Of course. But I imagine a few minutes won¡¯t hurt. I¡¯ve always had an appreciation for the fine arts of time. And speaking of¡­ under those contacts, I¡¯m guessing you have the most amazing blue eyes.¡±

    Cate blinked, thrown off by the directness of the compliment. Her cheeks flushed, a warmth spreading through her. Was it his charm or the wine he had offered? She didn¡¯t know. It had been too long. She hated how much she wanted to respond, how her guard slipped for just a moment.

    ¡°Hmm,¡± she said, trying to regain control of the conversation. ¡°How many ships can you command?¡± She kept her voice neutral, her military discipline returning. She wouldn¡¯t let herself get distracted; not now, not by him.

    Hallam leaned forward, a sly smile playing at the edges of his lips. ¡°Only three,¡± he replied, his tone dropping slightly. ¡°But once that devil-spawned fleet leaves, Lucia will be completely vulnerable. And then, I won¡¯t need more than that.¡± His eyes twinkled with a confidence that bordered on arrogance, but it was sincere, and Cate could feel the truth behind it.

    ¡°You¡¯re confident,¡± Cate said, her mind already calculating the logistics of such a bold move. ¡°But I imagine they¡¯ll leave some token of defence behind?¡±

    Hallam¡¯s hand absently stroked his goatee as he gestured expansively around the room. ¡°As you have seen, Lucia is large, but not easily defended. In times of peace, we would have 20,000 soldiers keeping things secure, both in the city and its immediate surroundings.¡± He turned to look out the window, the city lights casting a faint glow over his face. His voice softened as he spoke. ¡°The city and its¡­ suburbs stretch over four and a half thousand square miles. Population? Just over four million. But most of them live in poverty. It¡¯s a different world, Cate.¡±

    There it was¡­ the thing that drove him. The contrast between the opulence he enjoyed and the suffering he witnessed every day. Cate could see it in his eyes, a quiet yearning for change. The irony wasn¡¯t lost on her. Here was a man who had everything but wanted more¡­ who wanted to burn the system down, even if it meant risking everything.

    ¡°How many men at arms can you muster?¡± Cate asked, keeping her tone level.

    ¡°Thirty thousand in the city itself,¡± Hallam replied without hesitation. ¡°Another twelve thousand in the outer rim towns. They¡¯re scattered within the populace, living amongst the people. We¡¯ve been building our army for five years now. We aim to put an end to this¡­ this murderous regime.¡± His voice grew harder, and Cate felt the weight of his words.

    His offer was simple: strike when the fleet departed, when the Alliance was weakest. Three hours after their departure, he would begin offensive operations. Cate couldn¡¯t help but feel a flicker of doubt. It was a gamble; one that had to be taken.

    When it was time to leave, Hallam stood too close. Cate could smell him¡­ warm, masculine, faintly spicy. The air between them crackled, and she could feel the heat of his gaze on her. He cupped her chin gently, his thumb grazing her skin as his lips lowered. Cate¡¯s heart raced. It had been so long. She closed her eyes for a split second, caught in the moment, before her military training kicked in.

    ¡°No¡­¡± she said softly, pushing away from him. ¡°I have to go.¡±

    He released her, but his gaze lingered, that same pleading intensity in his eyes. ¡°You¡¯ll come back, won¡¯t you?¡± The question hung in the air, and for a moment, Cate found herself trapped in the gravity of it. She nodded.

    ¡°Yes,¡± she said, her voice a whisper, almost like a vow. ¡°Yes, I will.¡±

    As she stepped back into the night, the cold air hit her like a shock. Her mind raced, but her body moved with purpose. The patrols were still there, still watching, but she was quicker. A single soldier blocked her path. A swift takedown, a quiet struggle, and he was out of the way, floating down a drain towards the harbour.

    <hr>

    Cate reached Karen with an hour to spare. Sachi¡¯s family was already secure, with Pretaya taking charge, honouring the promise she had made to Anise.

    ¡°Cate, this is Sachi¡¯s mother, Eile, her sister, Angwen, she¡¯s fourteen and, Sachi¡¯s little brother, Ruel.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not little!¡± The boy straightened, trying to appear taller than his five-foot-four frame.

    His mother simply smiled. ¡°Yes, he is.¡± Then, her expression darkened. ¡°Can we go now? I don¡¯t like the feeling in this city.¡± It wasn¡¯t fear; just a fact.

    Cate offered a quick greeting before assessing what Parker had laid out on the bed: a M4 rifle with spare magazines, what looked like an old M1 Garand, flashbangs, grenades. Three M9 pistols. A pump-action shotgun. Extra pistol magazines and a box of shells for the shotgun. Karen went straight for the M1; Cate noticed it had a longer magazine, that was certainly going to be effective.

    ¡°Not something I¡¯d expect a Maths Professor to be toting around.¡± Cate said casually as she armed herself with the M4, her favourite weapon. She checked it over, loaded a clip and stuffed the spares into her pockets.

    The red head didn¡¯t look up, but there was a ¡®don¡¯t ask¡¯ tone to her voice. ¡°There is a lot you¡¯ve yet to learn about me Catherine.¡±

    She could take a hint, so Cate moved on. ¡°I saw four old men with those unreliable double-barrelled things they call assault weapons when we came through the gate,¡± Cate noted. ¡°Now that the fleet is on the verge of leaving, do you think they¡¯ll tighten security there? I know I would.¡±

    Pretaya¡¯s host lowered her head, then lifted it again as the symbiote spoke. ¡°I agree, Catherine. They will be more alert now. We must proceed with caution.¡±

    An understatement.

    Cate exhaled. ¡°We have to prepare for the possibility of a firefight.¡± Her gaze flicked to the kids. ¡°We can¡¯t put them in danger.¡±

    Eile stepped forward and placed a hand on the shotgun. ¡°I¡¯ll take this.¡± A statement, not a request.

    Cate hesitated. ¡°Do you know how to use it?¡±

    In response, Eile swiftly loaded twelve shells into the magazine with practiced ease, then hefted the weapon like it was an extension of herself. ¡°Satisfied?¡±

    Cate blinked. Are all Lucians this martially inclined? She gave a curt nod. ¡°Yes.¡± Since it was late Autumn, the long coats wouldn¡¯t raise an eyebrow. ¡°How embarrassing if we were to be searched.¡± A random thought.

    <hr>

    Escape:

    Getting into the Kapitol was smooth; at first. The outer guards knew Karen and bought her story about Cate, or rather Rosmalin, returning to her unit. It was the best cover they could come up with.

    As they walked cautiously into the main hall, Cate noticed the two large doors standing open. Knowing how quickly things could escalate, she let the others move ahead before quietly swinging both doors shut. She dropped the floor bolts into place, but was that enough? Her eyes caught on the U-shaped handles, and she glanced around for something to secure them. A row of pennants lined the hall, each one representing the twelve ruling families of Lucia. She grabbed one, its stout pole more like a lance. It was surprisingly light. ¡°Trinium?¡± she muttered.

    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    Sliding it through the handles, she found it fit snugly. It would hold¡­ at least for a little while. What she didn¡¯t realize was that, ironically, she¡¯d chosen Hallam¡¯s family pennant. Wasted time. She hurried to catch up with the others.

    The guards inside weren¡¯t so easily deceived. One took too much interest in Cate¡¯s cover, recognizing the name. Unluckily for him, he had once served in the same battalion as the very dead Mahor Rosmalin Soosa. Karen didn¡¯t hesitate. Her Garand was out in an instant, the shot fired point-blank. Suddenly, it was a firefight; five against three.

    Cate moved fast, cutting down a guard to her left. That made two. Four to three.

    Eile shoved her children behind a large column, Ruel pulling Angwen down to take cover. The three women lined up in direct sight of the Stargate and the DHD, while the remaining guards mirrored their position behind sparse cover. The noise was deafening. Reinforcements were coming.

    Cate ducked back behind the column just as a round chipped the stone above her head, sending dust and debris down her back. ¡°Jesus Christ!¡± she swore. ¡°They have our weapons!¡±

    More rounds snapped past. The kids dashed to the next column while the women laid down covering fire.

    ¡°What?¡± Karen yelled over the chaos.

    ¡°They¡¯ve got M16s!¡±

    This changed everything. When they planned the escape, they¡¯d expected to be up against a handful of old men with those useless over-and-under Alliance assault rifles. Instead, they were fighting younger, trained soldiers; and worse, their own weapons had been turned against them.

    ¡°We¡¯ll deal with that later!¡± Karen barked, squeezing off three quick rounds. A pained shout confirmed a hit. Three to three.

    Eile fired four rapid shots from the shotgun. Another man dropped. Two to three.

    Then came a booming crash. The women turned sharply. The cavalry had arrived¡­ but not theirs.

    ¡°Cover!¡± Cate shouted. Instinct took over. The others knew what was coming. She yanked the pin from a grenade, counted two beats, then lobbed it.

    The explosion tore through the hall, followed by bloodcurdling screams. Silence. For now.

    Another impact. ¡°Boom!¡± The doors wouldn¡¯t hold much longer.

    Cate sprinted to the DHD, her hand hovering over the symbols. ¡°Dial it!¡± Karen shouted. But where? The last dialled address could be tracked. The Alpha Site was out of the question. Her mind raced, she couldn¡¯t recall the sequence from their origin.

    Vegema. It was risky, but the best option. Cate punched in the coordinates, sending her IDC as Karen laid down covering fire. The doors burst open.

    Sachi¡¯s family ran through first. Karen followed. Cate re-engaged, firing as reinforcements flooded in.

    She made a break for it. A shot clipped her shoulder, but she didn¡¯t stop. She dived through the event horizon just as the gate gurgled, the puddle surged as she disappeared through it.

    <hr>

    Lucy, I¡¯m home! :

    ¡°Close the iris!¡± Someone yelled as Cate tumbled through the Stargate, rolling once down the ramp. Six louds bangs echoed in the chamber, someone had tried to follow.

    ¡°That¡¯s new.¡± She thought lazily as pain shot through her left shoulder. She glanced back to see the spiral disc of the Trinium made iris close. And so was the ramp. Her knee slammed into it hard. She was going to have some bruises for sure.

    Quick hands rushed to help her up, another surge of pain went through her, like a jolt of electricity as Cate¡¯s right leg gave way. ¡°Get a med team down here stat, and a gurney!¡± She recognised the voice, yet faces were a blur. For some reason, Cate thought she was back at the SGC. Tears of pain filled her eyes, watering her vision.

    Moments passed, something resembling clarity allowed her to get a bearing on her surroundings. Well, what was above her. She could see clearly the old missile turb above her head that now allowed the landing of the Puddle Jumper in the Gate Room. ¡°What?¡± He mined raced, did she dial Earth subconsciously?

    The rattling of the gurney was the next thing she was aware of. Most of the pain she felt came from her knee; she winced as medics gently lifted her onto the cart. ¡°Is everyone okay?¡± The words were a slur, through a veil of pain.

    ¡°Yes, we are, but you¡¯re not Cate.¡± Another voice, Karen. ¡°Take care of her please.¡± She said to someone nearby.

    Cate tried to turn her head, medics had already fitted a neck brace. Precautionary measures; she knew that. In the back of her mind, she was pretty sure she hadn¡¯t done ¡®that¡¯ much damage. She could tilt her head slightly to the left. A familiar face looked at her with concern on his face. ¡°Paul?¡±

    ¡°Lieutenant Colonel Paul.¡± He told her, an amused smile on his face. ¡°I know you¡¯re confused, I damn well would be.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± She answered. ¡°Yes I am.¡±

    ¡°Cate.¡± Another very familiar voice.

    A little twist to the right. Caroline Lam. ¡°I¡¯m going to give you some morphine and then fit a cannula, is that okay?¡±

    A slight nod gave her the answer. Anything would be better than how she felt right now. Cate couldn¡¯t understand why she felt so crappy. She¡¯d been wounded before, she had broken bones before; this was just so different. There was a small sting as the morphine went in, then another as the cannula went into her right wrist. Cate knew that would normally hurt. It didn¡¯t. Either that or Caroline was good at her job. A weird random thought occurred to her, she could hear Desi Arnez¡¯ voice. ¡°Lucy I¡¯m home.¡± How ironic.

    A few metres away a group of people stood near the end of the ramp. One of them was Allienna. ¡°Do you think she¡¯ll be alright?¡± She asked the officer standing next to her. By now Paul Davis had moved away to give the medics space.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a doctor, Allie, but Cate has done some damage. Not mentioning her knee, even I can see it¡¯s dislocated. I think they¡¯re worried about her spine. That was the worst gate landing I have seen in years.¡± He shook his head. The initial prognosis wasn¡¯t good.

    The group that included Karen and Sachi¡¯s family, all watched as if family were worried about a loved one. Even James Doolittle had joined. Anxious faces all turned as one, like on a tennis court, when they gurney was wheeled away. They heard Caroline calling for a C-scan to be set up immediately.

    A room was made available for the friends to wait, to bide their time. Comfortable faux leather lounges, a table with games for the kids. Angwen and Ruel taking to ¡®Ticket to Ride¡¯ like a duck to water. There were no trains in Lucia, a quick explanation from the Earth born humans, soon cleared that up. Karen sat at the end of the same table, Paul Davis was opposite her. For the moment they were both content to sit there and worry about Cate in their own way. Until she finally broke the silence.

    ¡°I thought you were chained to the SGC, Colonel. It can¡¯t be coincidence that you¡¯re here now.¡± The woman had this particular irritating way of getting answers, almost as if everyone she spoke to was guilty of something.

    For the moment, Paul had his chin resting on a hand, a miserable look on his face. At first, he didn¡¯t react, a moment passed before he straightened to look across at her. ¡°Generally true Professor Parker.¡± He used her formal title, even though he well knew everything else about her. ¡°A year ago, Vegema asked for assistance in moving their Stargate. They felt the current location was difficult to defend and so making it compromised. Allienna and James came up with this plan to move it west to the hills, twenty kilometres away.¡± Those ¡®hill¡¯s¡¯ were in fact a small mountain range that ran from the coast in the north, to some two hundred kilometres south of Plaxia. The largest feature was Mount Danger, rising to two thousand three hundred metres, that very same piece of geology that Darlen climbed over and Cate with her friends went beneath.

    ¡°That¡¯s where we are now? Why does it look so much like Stargate Command?¡± Now she was curious. And did he say a year ago?

    He nodded and gave her the unasked answer. ¡°We thought it a good idea and agreed to help. Our engineers and the locals here, felt it might be a five, maybe eight year project. But at least, we agreed to move the gate immediately and build a temporary gate room and some kind of facility here.¡± His previously grim face smiled a small smile. ¡°A senior airman who has been with the SGC for a few years gave us the answer. Air Force was decommissioning a few of our old ballistic missile silos and the surrounding infrastructure to comply with our nuclear disarmament commitments. He reminded us of not so long ago when Sam Carter had  an entire building beamed into orbit.¡± His head turned upwards. ¡°The project was almost complete, we had one still intact, in South Dakota. To our amusement the airman asked couldn¡¯t we just move the entire missile base here? It was structurally almost the same beneath the ground as the SGC.¡±

    Karen¡¯s jawed dropped. ¡°You didn¡¯t?¡± She couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing.

    ¡°Yes, we did. And that¡¯s why I was here, today was to be the day of the official handover.¡± He platted his fingers together, the smile disappeared quickly to the event at hand.

    ¡°Unbelievable. I can¡¯t imagine how much that must have cost.¡± Although Pretaya had no question at all on the subject. She was quite pleased.

    ¡°Enough Trinium and naquadah to build five new ships. I think we got a good deal.¡± He told her.

    There was a light knock on the door. It was Caroline, she wasn¡¯t smiling. ¡°May I?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± Paul told her, standing to offer her his chair, he grabbed another from the corner of the room.

    The doctor graciously accepted the chair. When she sat, Eile and the kids attention was drawn to her. ¡°The news isn¡¯t good?¡± Sachi¡¯s mother asked.

    Straight to the point. ¡°Cate has broken her knee. The patella is in four pieces, she is going to need a complete knee reconstruction. The wound on her shoulder isn¡¯t deep, but it has torn a ligament there, that will take months to self-repair.¡± So far it didn¡¯t sound too bad.

    Caroline had more. ¡°The worst is the bump on her head, a large haematoma. Our scans show there may be some damage to her brain, we won¡¯t know until after our initial surgery and we can do more scans.¡±

    ¡°How long do you think she¡¯ll be off Doc, from your estimate?¡± Another voice joined the gathering. ¡°Howdy folks.¡± Jack said when he entered the room.

    ¡°General!¡± Davis shot up out of his seat.

    ¡°Siddown Davis.¡± Jack told him. ¡°Doc?¡±

    Caroline was taken aback, why was the general here? Just because of Cate? ¡°If and I say if; she has no brain injury and we¡¯re just dealing with knee surgery general, three months.¡± She pressed on quickly, knowing Jack¡¯s partiality for interrupting. ¡°I¡¯d like to get scans on her spine as well, just to be sure. Now if there is any brain injury, we have no way of knowing. We¡¯ll have to run tests in a week or so after we¡¯ve fixed her knee, if I can get my orthopaedic surgeon here.¡±

    ¡°That bad huh?¡± He hadn¡¯t heard everything yet.

    ¡°We need to do a MRI on her general, which means¡­ ¡° She didn¡¯t finish.

    Jack did interrupt. ¡°Back on Earth. Sorry Doc but that is out of the question right now.¡±

    <hr>

    The Stranger:

    There was a twisted knot in Hallam¡¯s mind. That knot was a woman, and she had somehow managed to hook him in like a fisherman hauling in that prize catch. The difference being that on Lucia, it was rare for a man to be in that industry, so it was in context. It was where his family had drawn their wealth, owners of the five biggest fishing fleets on the three major continents and with commercial ties with many of the smaller owners in the islands. He remembered as a small boy, on board his mother¡¯s boat and the look in her eye when she landed a six crevit (equal to 50lbs) langster fish off the Daerelian Peninsula. Catherine MacGregor had that same look.

    He drank too much wine. That was the intoxicating effect she had on him. Even when he knew the darkened skin, the hair and eyes were all a fa?ade, he saw beneath a very beautiful and very dangerous woman. Exactly the type he wanted in his life. Someone to share his challenges and conquests. The viscous red liquid swirled in the glass, leaving a thin film as it ran back to the bottom. His sixth. Disgusted with himself, the glass flew from his hand to smash into pieces at the back of the fireplace; the remnants of the wine flaring the flame. Hallam shook his head, then buried it in his hands.

    ¡°A magnificent female is she not, I am certain she will make a good host.¡± The voice resonated in the room, enhanced by some alien influence. A tall dark haired man walked casually into the room. He was wearing what passed for a rather fancy suit on Lucia, something only the very wealthy might wear. Something from Hallam¡¯s own wardrobe. ¡°I think she swallowed your sincerity completely, I am impressed.¡±

    Hallam turned to him and stood. He was taller, and while not as heavily built, he oozed physical fitness. ¡°I would not be speaking in such a disparaging way of her, Ares. Make no mistake, she is not a woman to be taken lightly. I don¡¯t think she was completely taken in¡­ there was an intelligence and sharpness to her I¡¯ve not encountered.¡±

    For a moment, Ares didn¡¯t answer. Something flickered in his eyes; not just the telltale arrogance of his kind, but something else. Something rawer.

    The scent of burning metal filled his nostrils. The cold bite of the event horizon had long since passed, but the nausea remained. One moment, he had been aboard his flagship, the next; this. His ship torn apart, unfamiliar stars in the void, his forces scattered like dust in a hurricane. And then the fire¡­ screaming Jaffa, hull plating twisted like paper, the heat searing even through his personal shield. A breach in reality itself. He should have died, yet here he was.

    The past slipped away as quickly as it had come. The Goa¡¯uld glow returned to his eyes, masking whatever brief loss of control had seized him. When he spoke again, his voice was smooth, his posture perfectly composed.

    ¡°You are naive if you think she is not already lost, Hallam.¡± Ares smiled, slow and confident. ¡°Women like her always belong to the most powerful.¡±

    A brief smile crossed Hallam¡¯s face. ¡°Then she will be mine. You forget¡­ we¡­¡± He caught himself. ¡°I need her if we are to bring the Tau¡¯ri to heel in our conquest of this galaxy. Yet we must proceed with caution. Lucia first. The pieces will fall one by one, and in the end, Earth will be ours.¡±

    Ares settled into another lounge chair, crossing one leg over the other. His manner was regal, as if he were the ruler in this realm. ¡°I watched my brethren rule in much the same way. And that, my dear Hallam, was their downfall.¡±

    He pointed a finger, his voice sharp. ¡°I will not allow you to make the same mistake. The Tau¡¯ri are not like the worlds we¡¯ve conquered. They¡¯re fractured, chaotic, and that is why they are the key to our success. If we are to make this work, we must rule them. Not destroy them.¡±

    His voice rose, becoming colder, each word carefully measured. ¡°When Earth falls to us as conquerors, not destroyers, then the galaxy will be ours. But destroy them, and the entire galaxy will unite against us. We will not succeed.¡±

    Hallam sneered, his eyes narrowing with the weight of his years of watching the Tau¡¯ri from the sidelines. ¡°Naivety is on you, Ares, if you think Earth can be tamed. Their so-called Stargate Command is ruled like a dictatorship by a single nation. And they only ¡®allow¡¯ other member states to contribute manpower but never share administration. Their entire system is built on control, not cooperation. They¡¯ve stolen technology, manipulated others to serve their goals, and now they pretend to be the galaxy¡¯s saviours?¡±

    Hallam¡¯s gaze was unyielding. ¡°The only way to control such a beast is to contain it; or kill it outright.¡±

    They argued back and forth, each word a clash of wills. The room grew heavy with the tension of two men, each certain they held the key to victory, unwilling to concede. Hours passed unnoticed, until several of Hallam¡¯s commanders entered. It was time. Time to prepare for their own takeover of their world.

    Hallam turned away from Ares with a quiet finality. ¡°You¡¯ll see soon enough. Watch and learn how power projection is done swiftly, smoothly, with minimal collateral damage.¡±

    <hr>

    The Surgeon:

    The room was thick with anticipation as Cate¡¯s friends waited for word from Doctor Lam. It felt like hours. A lot of coffee had been consumed, but not much else. Conversation had been sparse.

    Allienna sat close to James Doolittle, Earth''s ambassador to Vegema; the man who, just two days ago, had proposed to her host. Karen sat on the same couch, quiet but observant. Dusty Dixon, Nugget Bianchi, and Tyra had been given special leave from the Alpha Site to be there. Dusty paced restlessly, his boots scuffing against the floor, while Tyra sat close to Nugget, their heads occasionally tilting toward each other in hushed exchanges.

    Jack, leaning against the far wall, shot Dixon a look of mild irritation. The pacing was starting to get to him.

    At the small table, Morena and Darlen sat with their heads together; anyone with half a brain could see those two were deeply in love. Despite their quiet connection, the overall mood in the room was sombre, more like a wake than a waiting room. That, more than anything, was beginning to wear on Jack.

    He decided to lighten the mood.

    ¡°Did I ever tell you about the time Carter and I were stuck under the ice¡­?¡±

    Karen looked up at him, unimpressed. ¡°You did, Jack. Twice.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ ah, well then.¡± He cleared his throat and went back to watching Dixon, still pacing like a caged animal.

    No one notices when Caroline walks in until she speaks.

    ¡°General O¡¯Neill, we have the results.¡±

    Immediately, the room is alive with voices, each one firing off questions in rapid succession.

    "Is she okay?"

    "What¡¯s the news, doctor?"

    "How bad is it?"

    The buzz quickly escalates into a cacophony until Karen steps in, her voice calm but firm.

    ¡°Quiet, everyone. Let Jack speak.¡±

    The group falls silent, tension thick in the air as Jack takes a slow breath, finally meeting Caroline¡¯s gaze.

    He keeps it simple, voice low but direct. ¡°Good or bad news, Doc?¡±

    Caroline hesitates for a moment, clearly bracing herself for the impact of what she has to say. She inhales, then begins.

    ¡°Cate¡¯s been through hell. Concussion from a severe blow to the back of her head; luckily, no brain damage. But she¡¯s got a fractured pelvis and a shattered right knee. T3 and T4 of her vertebrae have been cracked.¡±

    There¡¯s a collective intake of breath from the room. A few members of the team visibly stiffen, exchanging glances. The reality of Cate¡¯s injuries lands heavily on them all. Jack nods, his jaw tightening as he processes the news. The silence stretches, thick with unsaid words, until he asks the question that¡¯s been hanging in the air.

    ¡°Can you fix her, Caroline?¡±

    She shakes her head. ¡°I can set a broken arm or leg. But this... this is beyond my expertise. She needs the best. I know two surgeons in the States who are more than capable; Professor Julia Shultz at John Hopkins and Doctor Ken Schu at Denver State Hospital. Doctor Schu is also an Air National Guard member. But it¡¯ll take time, and time is something she doesn¡¯t have.¡±

    Jack¡¯s expression darkens, frustration rising like a wave. ¡°We really don¡¯t have time for that.¡± He shifts his weight, looking at the team, then back at Caroline. ¡°If you need the best, there¡¯s someone who can help right now.¡±

    Caroline blinks, processing Jack¡¯s sudden shift in tone. ¡°Who?¡±

    Jack¡¯s eyes flicker with something akin to recognition, his voice softening just slightly as he says, ¡°You¡¯ve heard of Anne MacGregor?¡±

    Caroline nods slowly. ¡°Yeah, but... she¡¯s¡­ ¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s the best,¡± Jack interrupts, his tone firm now. ¡°And I¡¯ve known her and her husband, Will, since ¡®86. Back when Cate was just a kid.¡± His gaze drifts for a second as memories shift in the back of his mind. ¡°Will and I were on the same staff course in Texas. Anne... she¡¯s one of the most highly qualified orthopaedic surgeons in Australia. She¡¯s also a Navy Reservist; Captain, no less.¡±

    Caroline blinks, processing the weight of what Jack¡¯s saying.

    ¡°So, we¡¯re talking about the real deal. Not just some family doctor, huh?¡± Caroline says, arching an eyebrow as her eyes meet Jack¡¯s.

    Jack smirks, the briefest hint of pride flashing in his eyes. ¡°Trust me. You don¡¯t want anyone else working on her bones. Anne¡¯s got the skills to handle this. Plus, she¡¯s just moved to Colorado Springs to be closer to Cate and Will.¡± He shifts a little, the conversation taking on a more personal note. ¡°Got Will out of retirement too¡­ he¡¯s working at Stargate Command now. That¡¯s how she ended up taking a job at Colorado Springs General Hospital.¡±

    The room is quiet as everyone processes this new piece of information. It¡¯s not just a call to a good surgeon; it¡¯s a connection, a link that¡¯s deeply woven into Cate¡¯s personal history.

    Caroline nods slowly. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll get in touch with her. She¡¯s the right choice for this.¡±

    Jack looks at her, determination hardening his expression. ¡°No, I¡¯ll make the call.¡±

    Caroline¡¯s brow furrows in confusion. ¡°But¡­¡±

    Jack cuts her off. ¡°I¡¯ve got a direct line to Anne. I¡¯ll handle it.¡±

    As Caroline watches Jack turn to leave, she quickly adds, ¡°How quickly can you get her here?¡±

    Jack pauses at the door, looking over his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll get down to the gate room and make the call.¡±

    Caroline nods, her tone more urgent now. ¡°Please do, General.¡±

    Fifteen minutes later, Jack returns, his expression a little more relaxed than when he left.

    ¡°Well, good news,¡± Jack says, running a hand through his hair. ¡°She¡¯ll be here in about two hours.¡±

    The room collectively exhales, but Jack adds with a wry grin, ¡°It was a pain making that call across the galaxy, but Sam happened to be in the gate room, so she got me connected with her pretty quickly.¡±

    Caroline lets out a relieved sigh, nodding. ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Jack agrees. ¡°We¡¯ll make it work. We always do.¡±

    <hr>

    The time seems to stretch on in the hospital unit, the air thick with tension and quiet murmurs. Some of the team engage in soft conversation, while Jack and Karen take a brief walk, discussing the mission to Lucia. Jack listens intently, letting her details about the mission wash over him, though his mind is preoccupied with the thoughts of Cate.

    When they return, a gate tech radios through to Jack, breaking the stillness.

    "General O''Neill," the tech''s voice crackles over the comm, "Dr. Anne MacGregor has just stepped through the gate. Should I bring her to the waiting area?"

    Jack stands up straighter, a sense of relief washing over him. ¡°I¡¯ll take it from here,¡± he replies. With that, he quickly makes his way to the gate room, his pace quickening, eager to get Anne to Cate as soon as possible.

    By the time he arrived at the gate room,  Anne was standing at the end of the ramp, her small figure unmistakable even in the bustling environment. She was everything Jack expected; slight in stature, but with an air of confidence and capability that matches her reputation.

    "Anne," Jack greets, walking toward her with a genuine smile. ¡°Glad you made it. Let¡¯s get you to Cate.¡±

    Anne offers him a smile, her dark eyes assessing the surroundings before focusing back on him. "Jack, I didn¡¯t think I''d be visiting another world quite this way. What a place.¡±

    Jack chuckles, leading her through the halls of the base. ¡°Trust me, you ain¡¯t seen nothin yet.¡±

    They went quickly, and Anne had to walk quicker to keep up with Jack¡¯s stride. She asked for no other reason than general interest. ¡°From what I saw briefly at the SGC, this place seems to be almost a carbon copy.¡±

    He answered the only practical thing he could say. ¡°It is.¡±

    As they walked toward the hospital unit, Anne notices the occasional glance of curiosity from passing personnel. She¡¯s not the tallest person, standing only 5''3¡±, and there¡¯s no mistaking the physical resemblances to Cate, with her olive complexion and dark hair was different though and Cate was a good five foot nine inches. An SG team about to leave seems to notice it too, whispering in hushed tones, likely surprised to see the resemblance in the woman walking alongside Jack.

    When they reach the hospital unit, Anne is introduced to the team. Caroline, surprised but pleased by the family connection, mentions how she¡¯d never realized the link until Jack had brought it up earlier.

    ¡°I¡¯ve read your papers on hip and knee replacements,¡± Caroline says, trying to break the ice. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to meet you like this.¡±

    Anne smiles warmly, shaking her head. ¡°Well, when your daughter decides to get into trouble, I suppose I can¡¯t ignore it.¡± Her eyes soften, a brief moment of vulnerability sneaking through before she focuses on the task at hand. ¡°I assume she¡¯s in pre-op?¡±

    Caroline nods and mentions that Cate is prepped for surgery and already given a shot of midazolam. ¡°She¡¯ll be groggy,¡± Caroline notes, but Anne responds with a smirk.

    Anne¡¯s lips curl into a faint smile. ¡°All the better. She won¡¯t be too pleased to see me here.¡± The glint in her eye reveals a hidden layer of humour beneath her words. "When she hears I¡¯m involved, she¡¯ll probably need a little more than just sedatives to keep her calm."

    Jack can¡¯t help but chuckle, remembering Cate¡¯s fiery reaction when he¡¯d told her about her father¡¯s return to active service, and with the Stargate Program no less. ¡°You might be right about that.¡±

    Anne takes a deep breath and turns toward the door. ¡°Let¡¯s not keep her waiting.¡±

    <hr>

    The moment Anne enters the room, Cate¡¯s eyes flutter open, the grogginess from the sedative making it harder to focus. The sight of her mother, standing at the foot of the bed, catches her attention almost immediately. The mood shifts from the relaxed post-surgery haze to something more tense, the familiarity of her mother¡¯s presence instantly triggering a mix of emotions.

    "Well, well," Cate mutters, her voice thick with the remnants of sleep and irritation. "I didn¡¯t know you were part of this circus, Mum."

    Anne raises an eyebrow but stays calm. ¡°Oh, you should know by now, sweetheart. I¡¯m always part of the show. Just sometimes I prefer a different entrance.¡± She takes a step closer, her voice softer now. ¡°You¡¯re going to be just fine, Cate. We¡¯ll get you back on your feet in no time.¡±

    Cate shifts in bed, frustration creeping back into her tone. ¡°Yeah, sure, with my luck, it¡¯ll be a miracle if I can walk again.¡±

    Anne tilts her head, crossing her arms as she watches her daughter. ¡°I know you, Cate. And I know how much you hate being told what to do. But trust me, I¡¯m here to help.¡±

    Cate glares at her, still a little too groggy to fully focus, but the sharpness in her eyes is undeniable. ¡°Yeah, well, I didn¡¯t ask for help.¡±

    Anne simply smiles. ¡°I know. But you¡¯ve got it anyway.¡±

    Cate¡¯s eyes narrow as she glances up at Anne, her voice sharp. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be here, Mum. It¡¯s dangerous.¡±

    Anne lets out a dry chuckle, arms still crossed. ¡°And nearly getting run over by a bus isn¡¯t?¡±

    Cate stiffens at the reminder, her eyes flashing briefly with the memory of that day in Sydney, two years ago, when the two of them had been shopping and she¡¯d pulled Anne out of the way just in time. She bites her lip, trying to hide the flicker of guilt.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask for you to follow me around like that,¡± Cate mutters, trying to shrug it off.

    Anne raises an eyebrow, her gaze steady. ¡°Well, maybe if you let me look after you more often, I wouldn¡¯t have to.¡±

    Cate scoffs. ¡°I¡¯m not a child anymore Mum in case you hadn¡¯t noticed and, this isn¡¯t the same.¡±

    Anne shrugs. ¡°No, it¡¯s not. But don¡¯t lecture me on danger, Cate. I¡¯m no stranger to the Stargate Program. I ran the medical approvals for all the Australians and New Zealanders who joined the Atlantis and Icarus missions.¡±

    Cate¡¯s gaze hardens, disappointment creeping into her voice. ¡°So, you¡¯ve been involved all this time, and you didn¡¯t think to mention it to me?¡±

    Anne¡¯s tone cools a little. ¡°You didn¡¯t have the clearance, Cate. I signed an NDA. What did you expect?¡±

    Cate scoffs, crossing her arms defensively. ¡°I was Level 7 clearance, for god¡¯s sake.¡±

    Anne raises an eyebrow, a wry smile tugging at her lips. ¡°Yes, and you lost that when you went back to the Air Force after you quit ASIS.¡±

    Cate exhales sharply, momentarily at a loss for words. She glares at Anne, then away, then back again.

    ¡°Fine,¡± she mutters under her breath, unable to hide the faint smile tugging at the corner of her lips. She wouldn¡¯t want anyone else working on her, even if she was too stubborn to admit it.

    <hr>

    Cate¡¯s operation lasted twelve gruelling hours. Through it all, none of her friends left the immediate area. They may have stretched their legs or paced the halls to ease aching muscles, but none truly departed; except for Dusty. As CAG of the Alpha Site, with only two days before the anticipated Lucian Alliance attack, he had no choice. Leaving had weighed heavily on him.

    When Cate was finally moved to recovery, the anticipation in the waiting room surged. Everyone wanted to see her, but a weary Anne and Caroline put a stop to that immediately.

    ¡°Settle down,¡± Anne said, rubbing her temples. ¡°She¡¯ll be out for at least another hour.¡±

    Jack O¡¯Neill, standing amidst the waiting group, took one look at Anne swaying slightly on her feet and shook his head. ¡°Captain MacGregor,¡± he said, an amused glint in his eye, ¡°do I have to make it an order for you to get some rest?¡±

    Normally, Anne would have a sharp retort ready, but in her current state, she simply exhaled and nodded. ¡°Fine. But only for an hour.¡±

    From the side, Tyra, unfamiliar with Earth military ranks, leaned toward Nugget. ¡°Isn¡¯t Doctor MacGregor a bit old to be just a captain?¡±

    Nugget hesitated, suddenly aware of the minefield he was about to step into. ¡°Uh¡­ well, she¡¯s a Navy captain, not an Army captain. It¡¯s different.¡±

    Tyra frowned. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be easier if you all used the same ranks?¡±

    Nugget opened his mouth, then closed it again. ¡°Yeah, probably.¡±

    James, overhearing, smirked. ¡°Sure, but then where would the fun be if we Earthlings couldn¡¯t confuse the hell out of everyone?¡±

    Laughter rippled through the group, cutting the tension. But it didn¡¯t last long.

    An hour later, Cate stirred, her body sluggish and mind foggy from the medication. As she blinked against the sterile glow of the recovery ward, a stern-faced Vegema nurse entered the waiting room where the group had gathered.

    ¡°Only two at a time!¡± she snapped, her authoritative tone leaving no room for argument.

    A collective groan filled the air.

    ¡°I mean it!¡± she added, eyeing them all like a hawk.

    Jack sighed dramatically. ¡°Alright, alright. Parker and I will go first.¡±

    As they moved forward, a message arrived from Earth. Cate¡¯s father, Will MacGregor, had been at the SGC, waiting anxiously for updates. As Jack and Karen were about to enter, he arrived.

    Jack, ever the diplomat, intercepted him outside the room. ¡°Cate¡¯s got a lot of people in there,¡± he explained. ¡°Her friends. They¡¯ll want to meet you.¡±

    Will nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll meet them after I see my daughter.¡±

    ¡°Anne¡¯s resting,¡± Jack started to say, only to be immediately proven wrong as Anne strode back into the corridor.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep,¡± she admitted.

    Jack threw his hands up. ¡°Look after your wife, Will, because I certainly can¡¯t!¡± With that, he and Karen retreated to the waiting room, leaving the MacGregors alone.

    Inside recovery, Cate blinked groggily at the two familiar figures standing over her. Their presence felt like a dream, distant yet grounding. It took a moment for her mind to process it, but when it did, she let out a slow, weary sigh.

    ¡°You both should be at home,¡± she murmured, her voice hoarse, cracking at the edges.

    Anne¡¯s gaze softened as she brushed a strand of hair from Cate¡¯s forehead. ¡°No place we¡¯d rather be, sweetheart.¡±

    Cate swallowed, emotions knotting in her throat. The haze of pain and medication made everything feel surreal, but the concern in her mother¡¯s voice was unmistakable. ¡°I just wanted you to enjoy retirement. Dad, you spent so many years away, and now you¡¯re both risking your lives again.¡±

    Will pulled up a chair beside her bed, his expression unreadable at first. Then he exhaled, his voice steady but carrying the weight of experience. ¡°Cate, if we don¡¯t stop them now, they¡¯ll come to Earth. You know that.¡± He let the words hang between them, giving her time to absorb them. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you rather us use our experience to help here, to make sure your nieces never have to see the kind of war you have?¡±

    Cate stared at him, the truth settling deep in her chest. She could feel the bandages, the lingering ache of surgery, but nothing cut deeper than the realisation of how much they all had at stake. She exhaled slowly, her fingers weakly reaching for his hand. He clasped it, firm and reassuring.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± she whispered. ¡°I would.¡±

    Anne leaned down, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. ¡°Then rest, darling. We¡¯re here, and we¡¯re not going anywhere.¡±

    Cate let her eyes slip shut, this time surrendering to sleep willingly. The weight of the world was still there, but for now, in this moment, she wasn¡¯t carrying it alone.

 36 Hours

    36 Hours to Zero Hour:

    Her eyes fluttered open, she tested her neck. Check. The brace was gone; Cate turned to the right gently, there was a little pain in her back, but not enough to bother her. Her head, however, felt like she¡¯d just spent several painful hours listening to a heavy metal band in the front row, without ear plugs. Instinctively a hand went to her head, bandages, damn¡­ she vaguely recalls bouncing a few times on that ramp. You¡¯d think metal could be made a little more flexible.

    There was light coming in through a window, beautiful sunlight. She wasn¡¯t on Vegema, and she knew she wasn¡¯t back home on Earth, the trees outside were different. The Alpha site. A light snoring, very faint, alerted her to a figure asleep in a chair next to her, covered in a cotton hospital blanket, the blonde head of Tyra. Movement of feet warned her that someone else was in the room, she turned to the left, a young dark-skinned man in blue nurses scrubs.

    ¡°You¡¯re awake ma¡¯am.¡± He said, his accent pinning him to Pacific Island origins, possibly Samoa. His well-muscled frame was telling, she could see him easily playing for her football team.

    ¡°Has it been a while?¡± There was still a definite feeling of her mouth full of cotton wool.

    ¡°Since we brought you in, or your surgery?¡± Like all those she had met, mostly professional Rugby League players, his intimidating looks were in complete contrast to his gentle voice.

    She kept her voice to a slight whisper as she glanced to her right briefly, then back to the nurse. ¡°The first, or both really, what time is it. Hell, what day is it?¡± It was then, as her body instinctively wanted to sit up, that she realized she only had a standard ward gown on¡­ loosely tied in the front instead of the back. She pulled the sheet up.

    ¡°And you do have a name, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Last question first, Lieutenant Aonani Fuamatu ma¡¯am, US Navy. It¡¯s zero eight hundred and it¡¯s Tuesday April seven.¡± Smooth and even, there was no sense of panic or impending disaster in his voice.

    ¡°Nice to meet you, Lieutenant.¡± Then it hit her like a brick. ¡°Shit! She sat up. ¡°Get me some clothes, or pyjamas, something better than this piece of rag.¡±

    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am.¡± He ducked out, Cate watched him leave.

    At the same time, Tyra aroused. ¡°Cate, Cate! Are you okay?¡± The girl was at her side in a second.

    She felt a mess. Everything ached. Cate figured quickly that it was only three hours since she saw her parents when she was in recovery back on Vegema, given the time differences. Damn! She thought they must have moved quickly. Why the hurry? ¡°Yes, as good as can be expected Tyra. Have you been here all this time?¡±

    The girl started fussing immediately. ¡°Do you need something to drink? There¡¯s sandwiches in the refrigerator¡­ um anything? I¡¯ve got some chocolate in my bag.¡±

    Cate placed her hand on Tyra¡¯s cheek and left it there for a moment. ¡°Kiddo, what would I do without you?¡± She smiled. ¡°No, I¡¯m fine, I don¡¯t think I could eat or drink right now, still feeling a bit off. But I want you to tell me what¡¯s happening, where¡¯s Dusty right now?¡±

    A sweet young face returned the smile. To any passer-by they¡¯d be struck by the similarity between the two. Blonde, tall and with bodies that would be more suited for ballet than in your face combat exponents. An older sister with her younger sibling perhaps? ¡°Dusty is on CAP with Francis at the moment Cate, why?¡±

    Cate raised an eyebrow. ¡°Oh, so it¡¯s Francis now, is it?¡± She chuckled. ¡°I need to speak to him. While he¡¯s a top notch CAG, strategy isn¡¯t his forte¡¯, we have thirty six hours before the shit hits the fan and we need to get some planning measures put into place. If there was one thing she had learned about the Alliance, they kept tight schedules, and neutralising worlds fell into that time keeping.  Her bum hurt, badly. She vaguely recalled her mother telling someone, or was it, Caroline? That she had fractured her pelvis. Is that what it felt like?

    Red faced at being caught out, Tyra did her best at pretending to not notice. She failed miserably. ¡°Erm, the lieutenant has been helping me with my studies, navigation, mostly.¡± While that may have been true, Cate didn¡¯t think it ended there.

    The lieutenant graciously left the room for a moment, he had four sisters, and he knew where this conversation was going.

    Cate blinked at his departure, then she got straight to the point. That was one thing that some people found irritating with Cate, her honesty was too blunt sometimes. ¡°Have you slept with him?¡±

    The girls eyes went wide, her mouth dropped open. ¡°How did you?¡± There, she admitted it. ¡°You¡¯re not disappointed in me, are you? I mean we¡¯re in love and you know, how many times have you told me Cate, shit happens.¡±

    Just as she was about to respond the Nurse returned. ¡°Pajamas.¡± He pronounced it, just as if he had spelt it. ¡°Although I think you might want to put a hold on the pants ma¡¯am.¡± They were pink, with maroon piping around the edges. The boys got blue. Some things never changed.

    ¡°Why?¡± Then Cate thought it might be an idea to have a look. She lifted the sheet. ¡°Oh, oh¡­ crap!¡± On the right side of her hip were four metal pins protruding from the skin about five centimetres. There was no pain, just a dull ache. Cate very vaguely recalled another nurse giving her something a little while ago.

    ¡°Not a good fit, is it?¡± The man was enjoying her discomfort, Cate was sure of it.

    Tyra leaned over a moment before Cate, taking a quick peak. ¡°Wow, that is so¡­¡±

    ¡°If you say cool, Tyra, I will smack you!¡± She just didn¡¯t quite realise what a mess she was in. It was all hitting her now. Hard. ¡°Right, Lieutenant, leave that there.¡± She pointed to the end of the bed. Tyra made a face.

    It was as if she had offended him, the look on his face was pitiful. ¡°I can help you ma¡¯am.¡±

    ¡°Like hell you will. Ya ¡®all might be a nurse, and I don¡¯t care what you see when I¡¯m under, but you sure ain¡¯t seeing nothin¡¯ while I¡¯m wide awake!¡± That was her best Dolly impersonation, and it was an icebreaker. Tyra started laughing first, then Aonani, it wasn¡¯t long before the three of them were laughing.

    ¡°Okay, okay I can take a hint. If you need me, I¡¯ll be outside.¡± The young man back out, quietly closing the door behind him.

    Once he was out of sight, Cate had Tyra help her out of the useless ward gown and slip the pink pyjama top on. It felt warm and smelled new. But she needed to feel normal, even if it meant only the top half. ¡°Did they leave my clothes behind?¡± She looked around, she couldn¡¯t see anything other than her backpack. Someone was thoughtful in that regard at least.

    Still fussing as if she was Cate¡¯s mother, Tyra was buttoning the top for her friend. ¡°No, they asked me to take them to your room. Karen had to gate back to the Tel¡¯tak to bring it back, SG-1 went with her. I heard Colonel Mitchell saying there was no sign of the alien.¡± She let Cate settle back into the pillow. ¡°She dropped the rest of your things off last night.¡±

    ¡°Thank heavens for Karens,¡± Cate joked, which of course, Tyra was clueless to. The girl looked like a confused puppy, tilting her head that way. ¡°In any case, your personal life is yours to own, Tyra, but you¡¯re so young; just be careful, okay?¡± She sighed deeply. ¡°I¡¯ll explain about the ¡®Karens¡¯ later. So, is Parker still here?¡±

    Tyra sat back in the chair, glancing outside for a moment, watching the falling autumn leaves. She turned around. ¡°Uh-huh. I saw her in the canteen about an hour ago.¡± The window caught her gaze again. Francis was out there. She was worried, and Cate saw it.

    ¡°He¡¯ll be okay. Dusty will take care of him.¡± Cate felt responsible for Tyra being here; she wanted her to go back to Vegema. That was a dead end. The girl simply refused.

    ¡°I know, I know, Cate. It¡¯s not just Francis¡­ I¡¯m worried for everyone here, especially you.¡± That was something wonderful about the girl; the care she showed for others. Cate had seen that in her a year ago.

    ¡°We¡¯ll make it, Tyra. They won¡¯t win.¡± She left it at that, then mused for a moment. She hated asking for things; being independent was something she took great pride in; but she figured she didn¡¯t have many choices at the moment. ¡°Listen, would you mind running a few errands for me? I hate to ask.¡±

    The girl¡¯s eyes brightened. ¡°Cate, you don¡¯t have to ask. We¡¯re family; well, to me we are anyway.¡±

    Now there was a confession Cate wasn¡¯t prepared for, and she wasn¡¯t sure how to respond. But sometimes, in your worst moments, a sudden thought opens your eyes. Perhaps she had been insensitive. Cate just had to ask. ¡°Tyra, do you mind if I ask you something?¡±

    A big smile greeted her, making Cate feel a little guilty. ¡°No, not at all.¡±

    ¡°Be careful,¡± Cate cautioned herself. She hesitated, knowing the question might reopen old wounds, but she had to ask. ¡°When you went back to Plaxia last month, did you find what you were looking for?¡± She refrained from mentioning Tyra¡¯s parents. She was confident what the answer would be.

    The smile faded. Damnit. What was she thinking?

    ¡°Morena and James did everything possible. They¡¯re gone, Cate.¡±

    Tyra had been granted leave to find some answers. It wasn¡¯t a given that the Alliance had wreaked so much havoc on the city, that many of the older Vegemahan had survived; and while some had, Tyra¡¯s parents had not. She knew her father was strong, just not strong enough to survive in the mines, and her mother would not have lasted long without her loving husband.

    ¡°Come here.¡± Cate held her arms out, and the younger girl fell into them. That moment lasted until the last tear was gone.

    ¡°How would you feel about calling Earth your home?¡± Cate asked in a quiet whisper.

    Tyra pushed away just a little without letting go. ¡°Do you mean it?¡±

    Cate hesitated again. She¡¯d never thought of herself as the protective, big-sister type, but with Tyra¡­ it felt natural. ¡°You¡¯re still under eighteen. In the laws of my country, any adult can be named as your guardian. I¡¯m going to ask Mum and Dad to make it official.¡±

    Mum and Dad already adored Tyra; they¡¯d practically adopted her in their hearts long before Cate put it into words.

    ¡°Really? You would do that for me?¡± The smile struggled to return, but it was there in her eyes.

    Nodding, Cate stroked the girl¡¯s cheek. ¡°I want to. I think, in my heart, I¡¯ve been calling you my baby sister for a year anyway.¡±

    Now it was Tyra¡¯s turn to show some scarlet on her cheeks. ¡°Aww, that means the world to me, Cate.¡± One more tear ran down her cheek. It wasn¡¯t a sad one this time. She brightened visibly. ¡°So, okay... what was it you wanted me to do? I¡¯m all yours today. Mrs. Djorski has given me the day off, and besides, I¡¯m ahead of the class anyway.¡±

    ¡°The English teacher? You¡¯re going to skip a whole day of class?¡± That wasn¡¯t something Cate felt comfortable with. ¡°No, no, Tyra, you really shouldn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s done. I gave her my paper for the next two days. I¡¯m free, honestly. I want to do this.¡±

    Honesty. The kid had that in spades, and Cate knew she was going to be on the losing side of that argument. How could she not love her, as a little sister?

    ¡°First of all, in relation to our rooms, where am I? Could you draw me a map, or better still see if you can¡­ ¡° She stopped. There was an easier way. ¡°¡­ forget that, could you go to my room, grab my laptop and a clean set of BDUs. The laptop is on my desk, the clothes are in the locker.¡± She reached for her backpack, that nearly killed her. Cate gritted her teeth; the strain of simply reaching, was like getting an electric shock.

    ¡°Cate! What are you doing?¡± Tyra watched in horror, seeing her strain herself like that. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m gonna be babysitting you forever.¡± She stepped around the bed and grabbed the pack. ¡°Now from here on, you want something, just ask, okay?¡± The damn thing was heavy, and it wasn¡¯t even a regular day pack. ¡°Here.¡± She said, gently placing it beside Cate.

    At any other time, she would have had a sarcastic reply, or at worst, something totally stupid. ¡°Okay.¡± She had surrendered. Her left hand reached in for what she was after. ¡°Here, take my card Tyra. That will get you into my room and my locker. And thank you.¡±

    The youngster took the plastic card. They were essentially your ID card and swipe card all in one, and as you went up in rank, the base¡¯s data base was updated, and you gained admittance to areas that required a higher clearance. ¡°God,¡± she thought, the places Cate¡¯s card could get her into, and of course the trouble that might cause. She put the thought of any irregular activities out of her mind. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in about ten minutes. Was there anything you think you might want?¡±

    ¡°My watch!¡± Cate exclaimed, it wasn¡¯t in her pack. ¡°Did someone take it off me, back on Vegema?¡± She felt vulnerable. Having her life thrown into chaos in such a way was more than alarming, it was scarry. Knowing people could do whatever they wanted with you, take whatever they wanted from you, when you¡¯re completely out of it. She could feel panic in her throat. That was until her ¡®baby sister¡¯, stood there grinning, dangling the said watch from one hand.

    ¡°Why you!¡± It couldn¡¯t be helped. By now they both realised they were so much alike, even to the point of the practical joker. On cue, they began laughing.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± Another voice asked. And it wasn¡¯t the nurse.

    Tyra stepped aside, it was Parker. The teenager sat on the edge of the bed, she was still grinning.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go now, back soon.¡± She said, leaving Cate safely in Karen¡¯s hands.

    The older woman stood there with her arms folded, a half-smile on her face. ¡°You¡¯re looking better Cate, how do you feel?¡±

    ¡°Do you really want to know?¡± Suddenly, once Tyra was out of the room her mood had soured. Not because of Karen; it was the sudden awareness of her situation. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have said that.¡± She shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m always the first to lecture people that others are not responsible for your own misery and here I am, contradicting myself.¡±

    Cate noticed Parker was wearing that suede clothing she saw Anise in the other day. ¡°Off somewhere?¡± She added, trying to distract from what had come over her.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m due to meet with the Tok¡¯ra council in a few hours. It¡¯ll take me two hours to get there.¡± There was a vagueness about her. As if she had more to say, but something was keeping her from saying it. She pulled up a chair and sat. ¡°I can say this though, as I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll hear of it soon enough. Allienna has you up for an award, well both of us really, I just wanted to let you know.¡±

    An award? That was something Cate could never get her head around. Doing your job and someone wants to give you a gong for it. ¡°I¡¯d tell her to stick it Karen, but Allienna is the most caring person I know.¡± She knew this was going to be awkward, but Cate was one to throw caution to the winds. ¡°I have to get out of here. Today, not in three months¡¯ time. Can any Tok¡¯ra use one of those Goa¡¯uld healing devices? I remember reading about them in old SG1 mission files.¡±

    Now it was Parker¡¯s turn to look serious. She lowered her head, as it lifted again, Pretaya took over. ¡°Yes, but some are stronger than others in the effectiveness of the device. I personally have never used one, I know Anise has, often. Why do you ask?¡±

    There was no fumbling for words, Cate came straight out with it. ¡°I want, no, I need these injuries healed asap, I can¡¯t lay here knowing we have a disaster at our door step. Karen, I need someone to use one of those things on me.¡± Her tone was almost pleading.

    ¡°No, Cate I¡¯m sorry but it can¡¯t be done like that. And I don¡¯t think any of the senior commanders would go for it. This is what you¡¯re up against. One, the SGC¡¯s device is under lock and key, and though General O¡¯Neill could authorise its removal, he wouldn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± Cate tried to interrupt.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t finished.¡± Pretaya told her. ¡°Over the last ten years or so, since Earth¡¯s exposure to these devices, your medical professionals have found there is a downside to the use of them. They are like a drug, and you¡¯d need quite a few hours work on you. A quick healing of a few minutes doesn¡¯t really have any lasting effect; if we used one on you Cate, you¡¯d end up being an addict.¡± She let Parker back into the conversation. ¡°It¡¯s worse than heroine Cate. We never noticed it in the early years; but there were a couple of cases where someone had the device used on them, more than once. At first, we couldn¡¯t understand where the behavioural changes were coming from, until we connected the dots.¡±

    A sense of depression tried to open a door into Cate¡¯s mind. She refused to succumb to it. As Karen finished speaking, another idea started to evolve. ¡°That¡¯s okay. Well, no, it sucks, but I can¡¯t do anything about it can I?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry Cate. I would try and do something if I could. Anise said the effect is minimised by trickle healing, short sessions of ten minutes. But in your case, that would take days, perhaps even weeks, without risk. I know you can¡¯t wait that long.¡± Her mind raced, Cate had become a friend, Karen had few, there must be something that could be done. ¡°I will speak on your behalf at the council.¡± Pretaya took over again. ¡°I must go. Do not lose hope Catherine.¡± Karen stood, she bent and kissed Cate on the forehead. ¡°I¡¯ll be back tonight.¡± And with that, she left, the soft Tok¡¯ra boots she wore almost making her footsteps silent.

    ¡°Bye.¡± That was about it. Now she was alone, that scared her. Cate knew Tyra would be back, but that wasn¡¯t enough. She had to do something, and she knew where she could get some help, without them even realising they were helping her.

    She picked up the watch from her lap, turning it over, making sure it wasn¡¯t damaged. Reading the inscription made her feel warm, connected. ¡®To our dearest Cate, Happy 21<sup>st</sup>, love, Mum and Dad¡¯.  Of course, Ben got one as well, but that wasn¡¯t important. So, it might not be one of those fancy G-Shock watches everyone seems to be wearing; no just a good old diver¡¯s watch, automatic so she never had to worry about winding it or changing batteries. She held it close to her chest, then fitted it to her wrist. Without a thought, her right hand felt around her neck; relief. Her necklace and crucifix were still there.

    The pain was still there, yet Cate had this way of ignoring it. A trick she learned long ago when she reached puberty, it hadn¡¯t been easy. Then there was that time she was thrown from a new horse her dad had just broken in. He was still a little wild and despite Cate and Ben being told not to go near him; she did of course, saddled him with the intention of riding him. Biscuit had other ideas, no sooner had Cate and the horse cleared the yard, when he thought he''d have some fun with his human passenger. She ended up in the water trough, Ben laughing his sides off and Cate ending up with a broken leg. She had just turned sixteen.

    <hr>

    Memories, they can make you smile or cry. All this had done was to make Cate think harder. She was living on another planet, far out in the galaxy; she knows people who have aliens in their heads, and she¡¯s met some of the strangest creatures in her journey and apparently made some enemies as well. There must be a way out of this mess.

    There were voices outside, she could hear two of the staff chatting. Cate strained her head in their direction, her natural instincts were to pick up information wherever she could, and hospital staff were always a source of that information. ¡°¡­ they¡¯ll be moving them all back to the SGC, starting from seventeen hundred¡­ ¡° She did not need to hear that. ¡°No, no!¡± A voice in her head screamed. Then almost immediately she heard another, a third speaker.

    ¡°Knock, Knock.¡± A familiar voice woke Cate from her reverie. ¡°Can I come in?¡± Vala stood in the doorway, she had something with her.

    Heaving a deep sigh, before settling back into her pillows (3 of them), Cate could only but smile and say a silent prayer of thank you. Now she knew someone, was watching over her. ¡°Vala! Yes, yes please, come in.¡± She patted the side of the bed, Cate wanted her friend close. She glanced at her watch, trying not to look obvious. Tyra would be another five minutes or more.

    Vala strutted into the room, holding up a small box with a triumphant grin. ¡°I come bearing gifts, darling.¡±

    Cate raised a sceptical brow. ¡°Those aren¡¯t Mitchell¡¯s macaroons, are they?¡±

    Vala gasped, pressing a hand to her chest in mock offense. ¡°How dare you! Do you think I would subject you to such horrors in your delicate state?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Cate deadpanned.

    Vala huffed. ¡°Alright, fair, but these are from an actual bakery in Foreston. I may have¡­ borrowed Daniel¡¯s wallet for the occasion.¡± She plopped onto the bed and opened the box, revealing perfectly crafted macaroons in an array of colours.

    Cate smirked, selecting one with practiced caution. ¡°If I get food poisoning from these, I¡¯ll be sending Teal¡¯c after you.¡±

    ¡°Oh please, Teal¡¯c loves me.¡± Vala popped a macaroon into her mouth, speaking around it. ¡°Besides, I figured you could use a distraction. I hear you¡¯ve been making one of the nurses miserable. And I love your hair Cate!¡±

    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    It was still short of course, but somehow in the last twenty four hours, someone had bathed her and washed her hair. Cate prayed it wasn¡¯t Aonani.

    ¡°Thanks, Vala and it isn¡¯t my fault he insists on treating me like I¡¯m made of glass.¡± Cate chewed thoughtfully. ¡°Speaking of distractions, got any gossip? You¡¯re usually a walking tabloid.¡±

    Vala waggled her brows. ¡°Oh, I have plenty, but you¡¯ll owe me.¡±

    Cate rolled her eyes. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll owe you. Spill.¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± Vala leaned in conspiratorially, ¡°word is, Jackson has been avoiding Sam ever since he lost a bet and now owes her a week of lab assistance.¡±

    Cate snorted. ¡°What was the bet?¡±

    ¡°Oh, something about whether or not she could get one of those new combat droids to do a backflip.¡±

    Cate blinked. ¡°A backflip?¡±

    ¡°Yes, apparently it worked. He was so sure it wouldn¡¯t.¡±

    Cate shook her head, amused, then played her next card. ¡°You know, I¡¯ve been thinking¡­¡± She stretched, careful not to show how much effort it took. ¡°Since I¡¯m stuck here, I might as well do some research. You remember that sarcophagus Parker had? Any idea where they stored it?¡±

    Vala, mid-bite, narrowed her eyes slightly. ¡°Why?¡±

    Cate shrugged with casual ease. ¡°No reason, just curious. And bored. Mostly bored.¡±

    Vala studied her for a second, then grinned. ¡°Cate, darling, if you¡¯re fishing for trouble, at least take me with you.¡±

    Cate chuckled. ¡°Not fishing. Just making conversation.¡±

    Vala seemed satisfied with that, nodding. ¡°It¡¯s in the vault on level three. Under heavy lock and key, of course.¡±

    Cate hummed in understanding, taking another bite of her macaroon. Vault¡­ level three¡­ biometric sensor. She kept her expression neutral, but her mind was already working through the logistics. Only Bixby and General O¡¯Neill have access¡­

    A plan began to form, slow but certain.

    Vala nudged her. ¡°You¡¯ve got that look.¡±

    Cate blinked innocently. ¡°What look?¡±

    ¡°The ¡®I¡¯m about to do something reckless¡¯ look.¡±

    Cate smirked. ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about.¡±

    Vala rolled her eyes, popping another macaroon into her mouth. ¡°Liar. But I like you, so I¡¯ll pretend I believe you.¡±

    Cate just smiled, filing away the information she needed. Now, she just had to get her hands on that beer in her room fridge. Tyra, the poor kid is going to have to do the run back again. ¡°You¡¯ll just have to trust me Vala.¡±

    The brunette raised an eyebrow. ¡°Now why does that tell me, you are up to something?¡±

    There was a time when Cate would have something really witty to say, but right now her mind was full of something else. Should she take in a confidant, that might endanger their position as well; there was no way in hell, she could do that. ¡°Me? Never!¡± She gave that beguiling smile of hers, it never failed.

    Back and forth for another few minutes until Tyra returned. Vala greeted her with a hug. The kid had that effect on others. Most of the older women on the base, wanted to mother her; the older men, felt she needed a father and the younger seeing her as a little sister, needing protection. Strangely, only Nugget saw her as a love interest. Like Cate, there something about Tyra that very easily warned predators off.

    ¡°I gotta go Cate, now you two behave, you hear me?¡± She was sounding very much like the bigger sister of three.

    Tyra had gone around to the window side of the bed, she was about to pack Cate¡¯s clothes in the little bedside drawers, she looked up, answering. ¡°We will.¡± He own grin could match that of Cate¡¯s.

    ¡°Before you go, Vala have you seen General O¡¯Neill recently?¡± Cate asked.

    Nodding affirmative Vala replied. ¡°Yes, he¡¯s with Cam and Daniel down in the control room. Do you need him?¡±

    Cate glanced at the phone next to her. ¡°I may. I can call him from here. See you soon Vala and thank you for the macaroons, that really made my day.¡± She was being honest in that regard.

    The dark haired woman gave the two of them one last suspicious look, blew a kiss to the two of them and was gone. Cate counted to five, before saying anything. ¡°Thanks Tyra, now, I¡¯m really getting thick headed. I hate to ask you again.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, really, I don¡¯t mind Cate. I only have to think of everything you¡¯ve done for me, ever since we first me. Gosh, can I say I owe you big time!¡± The girl was full of enthusiasm, that was a trait Cate saw in her from the beginning.

    This was difficult, she hated using people, Cate had no other choices though, it had to be done. ¡°Would you mind going back to my room. I have some beer in my fridge, and since I¡¯ve just found out I¡¯m being moved back to the SGC, I¡¯d like to thank General O¡¯Neill personally for all the help he has given me.¡± It was lame, but it was all she had.

    Now it Tyra¡¯s turn to look at Cate with suspicion. She was up to something, and she could feel it. But she decided to play along and see where it led to. ¡°Um, okay.¡± But she had to ask. ¡°Cate are you alright? I mean I know you¡¯ve got a lot going on, but¡­ ¡°

    ¡°But what Tyra? I seem distracted? Is that what you were going to say?¡± There was a seriousness to her expression, one she rarely showed.

    The youngster was spot on of course. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re not going to do something stupid are you?¡±

    ¡°Me? God no. You know me kiddo, all rules and regulation.¡± She hated lying. If she had to be honest, Cate wished she could tell the girl; she was determined though, if anyone was going to get into trouble, it¡¯d be on her own.

    Tyra dutifully left her, again Cate counted. Just to be sure the girl didn¡¯t turn back. She then picked up the phone next to her and called the control room, she had no trouble getting through to Jack. He sounded bored, which was a good omen to her. ¡°Sir, I just wanted to let you know I believe they are shipping me out to the SGC later today¡­ I er, wanted to thank you personally. I¡¯ve got a couple of beers if you¡¯re interested?¡±

    ¡°Drinking on duty Cate?¡± came the dry reply.

    Cate grinned at the phone. ¡°Come on, General. The universe as we know it might end tomorrow. And, besides no one would be more off duty than I am right now.¡±

    Jack relented. ¡°Alright, but just one, I¡¯ll be there in five.¡± He hung up.

    <hr>

    Five minutes. She opened her laptop, waited a moment for it to power up, before her fingers were tapping keys. Cate used one of her own programs to bypass the base¡¯s firewalls, once she was connected to their wi-fi. It took mere seconds for her to bring up the schematics. ¡°Hmm, down the hallway outside my room, a lift. I have to pass a ¡®T¡¯ junction, nurses station to my left.¡± She mapped out her route, and getting passed that junction was going to matter. Cate also considered, she may come across and SF here and there. Then there was the CCTV cameras, they were everywhere, she knew that. In all, from her room to level three and the vault, four minutes and twenty seconds, if, and it was a big if, she didn¡¯t encounter someone. She also looked into the possibility of overriding the biometric sensor on the door. No luck there, they had another firewall in the system, and she knew it would throw up an alarm if she tried to get passed it. So, plan A will have to suffice. Plan C was a bit dramatic, and she didn¡¯t think she could persuade anyone to ¡®borrow¡¯ some RDX, or C4 as it was commonly known.

    Footsteps? They were light. A moment passed, voices and then Tyra appeared. She had one can and a paper cup. ¡°Aonani stopped me Cate.¡± She walked over, placing the beer and cup on Cate¡¯s tray. ¡°He felt that mixing alcohol and your meds wasn¡¯t such a great thing¡­ ¡°

    You could almost hear the laughter in her head. Cate pulled the trolly closer, she picked up the cup, its contents was a lovely golden yellow, much paler than what she knew was in the can. It smelt of beer. ¡°So, what do I have here, then? Make believe booze?¡±

    Tyra was grinning her trademark smile. ¡°He opened one can, poured you out half a cup and topped the rest up with lemonade, or soda as he called it.¡± She then turned the smile into something apologetic. ¡°I have some errands to run for Dusty and Colonel Bixby, I promised him I¡¯d get it done before he gets back, you don¡¯t mind, do you? I¡¯ll be back in about thirty minutes.¡±

    ¡°Aww, honey that¡¯s okay, you don¡¯t need to ask. Go, get your work done and I¡¯ll see you when you get back.¡± The voice in Cate¡¯s head had to add. ¡°That¡¯s of course I¡¯m not in the cooler, by the time you get back.¡±  She held the girl¡¯s hand for a moment, before letting her go.

    ¡°Can I bring you anything when I come back.¡± She was stalling, Tyra felt her duty was with her friend, but at the same time she knew her responsibilities.

    A silver/grey head popped around the corner. ¡°I¡¯m not disturbing anything am I?¡± It was Jack.

    ¡°No sir, I was just leaving.¡± Tyra told him, releasing Cate¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Cadet.¡± He said simply, nodding as she passed him.

    Cate smiled as Jack sat down next to her, taking the beer with a raised eyebrow. He took a sip, a thoughtful look on his face before breaking into a smirk. "Hmm, tastes like real beer. Not like the creek water some of those American brews are trying to pass off as beer." He set the can down, a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. "What is this, some kind of high-class Aussie secret?"

    Cate chuckled softly, shaking her head. "It''s Cooper''s Lager. Comes from a little brewery in Sydney. It¡¯s good stuff."

    "Cooper¡¯s, huh? Well, it beats that swill they make back home," Jack said, leaning back in his chair, clearly impressed. "You really do have good taste." His eyes flicked to her briefly, the humour giving way to something a little more thoughtful. "You know, you take after your father more than your mother, right?"

    Cate paused mid-drink, feeling a pang in her chest. She took a slow sip, trying to mask the sudden wave of emotion. "I get that a lot," she said quietly, her voice betraying a bit of the weight she carried with those words.

    Jack''s expression softened slightly, but only for a moment. He quickly recovered with a small chuckle. "Don¡¯t worry, it''s not a bad thing. Just means you¡¯ve got a better shot at pulling off some of the ridiculous stunts you¡¯ve been known to pull."

    She couldn''t help but smile, despite the tension gnawing at her. "You¡¯re not wrong."

    Jack¡¯s gaze lingered on her for a second longer than usual, his tone more serious now. "So, what¡¯s the plan when they let you out in a couple of weeks? You have anything special in mind?"

    Cate looked down, her fingers tracing the rim of her cup absently. "Nothing exciting. I¡¯ll be back at the SGC. Just... trying to figure out how to make things right, I guess."

    She tried to keep her voice steady, but the weight of her thoughts pressed heavily on her chest. She couldn''t shake the feeling of betrayal; of doing something behind everyone¡¯s back, even if they wouldn¡¯t understand her decision. What if the sarcophagus healed her completely? Would they accept that she was doing what had to be done, even if it was the only option she had left? ¡°Damnit! Would her mother and Caroline understand after all the work they did on her?¡±

    Jack studied her for a long moment, then broke the silence, his voice gruff but not unkind. "Whatever it is, Cate, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll handle it. Just don¡¯t get yourself killed in the process, alright?"

    Cate met his gaze for a brief second, her voice quieter than before. "I¡¯ll do my best, sir. Promise."

    Just as Jack opened his mouth to say something more, a voice crackled through the comm, calling him back. Jack sighed, standing up and giving her a wry grin.

    "Guess that¡¯s my cue. You¡¯ll be fine, Cate. Just don¡¯t go pulling any more stunts while I¡¯m not looking."

    "Wouldn¡¯t dream of it, sir," Cate said, her tone light, but the tension in her chest didn''t quite ease.

    Jack gave her a small salute, but there was something about the way he looked at her that made her feel like he knew exactly how she was feeling. "Take care, Cate. We¡¯ll catch up soon."

    As he turned and left, Cate sank back into her bed, staring at the empty cup in her hands. The silence that followed was deafening, and her thoughts circled, still unsure if the decision she was about to make would be worth the cost.

    <hr>

    Minutes passed, Cate waited, she then set the dial on her watch. She gave herself, seven minutes. When all was quiet, she leaned over to her left, grabbing the arm of the wheelchair. ¡°Ugh!¡± She cried in pain, not loudly, but enough to make her pause. Sweat broke out on her brow and around her mouth, she stretched a little more, wincing. ¡°How the hell are you going to do this MacGregor?¡± The voice in her head asked her.

    Next, she examined the can Jack drank from, handling it very carefully by the rim. Leaning to the right, more pain, Cate hefted her backpack onto her lap. She pulled out a small kit she had kept from her ASIS days, among other things. First, she sprayed the can with something similar to the dusting powder police used; she looked closely at the can, muttering, ¡°Perfect, thank you, General O¡¯Neill.¡± Using a clear film, she laid that over the prints, peeling it off carefully. She had a small machine that held a Nitrile glove; the film she placed in a separate slot. In less than ten seconds, the prints were transferred to the glove.

    Now came the most difficult part. Getting into the chair. Cate placed her clothes and the glove on the trolley. She didn¡¯t have boots, but that wasn¡¯t going to be a problem, she figured she would have them soon. Throwing off the bed covers, she tightened her stomach muscles, gritted her teeth and swung her legs to the side. She wanted to scream, the agony was so bad. Tears streaked down her cheeks, and she began sweating profusely. Using her arms for support, with the chair next to the bed, she knew she had just a couple of seconds to get into the chair or risk having it slide away, as the brakes were not locked.

    Cate gave one quick heave, slipping sideways, she dropped into the chair. ¡°God!¡± She uttered silently. But she was not going to wasted energy on swearing, as much as she wanted to. Pain wracked her body, especially the lower back and hips. She could feel the pins, pressing against the vinyl sides of the chair. Grabbing the clothes and glove, placing them on her lap, she then pulled the woven cotton blanket off the bed, placing that over her lap; effectively covering her precious cargo.

    She twisted the chair around, every move took such an effort, she had self-doubt if she was even going to pull this off. Yet without even thinking about it, the next thing she knew, she was waiting for the lift (elevator), after only just slipping passed the T junction and the nurses station. The clock was ticking loudly in her head; not that she had to worry too much about it, there was another seven hours before they were going to move her. Down on level three, the doors opened, Cate wheeled out, only to be confronted with voices coming down the side corridor that stood in her way between where she was and where she had to get to.

    Gingerly she wheeled the fifteen feet between the lift doors and the junction, as best as she could manage, she leaned forward. There were two SFs exchanging a few words; they were part of security, and she knew for a while now, Colonel Bixby had SFs or some other armed personnel, on every level of the base. Even in the accommodation level you had to get past a guard now. Her mind was racing, how the hell was she going to get around this? ¡°Think Cate, think! What else is on this level?¡± It felt like an eternity, those precious wasted seconds. Finally, she remembered there were some labs on this level and there was absolutely nothing better for rehab than getting into some sciency, unsolvable problem. That was her theory anyway. The wheelchair slowly came into full view of the SFs, it was bluff time. In her head, Cate could hear the theme from Mission Impossible. ¡°Er, excuse me guys.¡± That got their attention.

    Both men turned, their conversation pausing as they saw the woman in the wheelchair. The Marine, a solidly built man with close-cropped dark hair, straightened up slightly. His companion, the RCAF sergeant, gave her a polite but wary nod.

    ¡°Ma¡¯am,¡± the Canadian said, eyes quickly flicking to the blanket covering her legs.

    Cate gave them both a tight, sheepish smile. ¡°I think I took a wrong turn,¡± she admitted. ¡°Doctor Francie McKell¡¯s lab is on this level, right?¡±

    There was a moment of hesitation before the Marine responded. ¡°Uh, yeah, ma¡¯am. About thirty metres past the vault.¡±

    The Canadian added, ¡°We can give you a push if you¡¯d like.¡±

    Cate let out a small, nervous chuckle, shaking her head. ¡°Appreciate it, Sergeant, but I have to get back to doing things myself sooner or later. Besides,¡± she added with a self-deprecating smirk, ¡°rehab says I need to build upper body strength. Apparently, I¡¯m not allowed to slack off just because I got shot.¡±

    The Marine let out an amused snort. ¡°Well, guess they¡¯ve got a point, ma¡¯am.¡±

    The RCAF sergeant gave a small smile. ¡°Heard about your little exit on Vegema. Hell of a move.¡±

    Cate pulled a face. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t recommend it.¡± Then she adjusted her hands on the wheels. ¡°Anyway, I won¡¯t keep you. Just need to get my brain working on something that isn¡¯t physiotherapy.¡±

    The Marine nodded. ¡°Understood, ma¡¯am.¡±

    ¡°Take it easy,¡± the Canadian added.

    Cate gave them one last smile, her heart hammering in her chest as she wheeled forward at a steady, deliberate pace. Now all she had to do was to get to the vault without raising suspicion. Easy, right?

    Steadily she wheeled herself forward. Cate glanced at her watch, five minutes, thirty nine seconds. She was almost there. The door soon loomed in front of her, it was wider than a normal door, but roughly the same height. Just with the thing closed she could feel the bulk of it; it was meant to keep people out. The biometric panel was on the right side, she could just reach it from the wheelchair. Her head swivelled left and right, even doing that was excruciating, it felt like her brain was going to explode. ¡°Just fucking do it Cate!¡± The voice in her head yelled at her. She slipped the glove on her hand, then placed the thumb over the sensor. From another corner of her mind, a voice asked. ¡°How do you know if he used his left or right hand?¡± She replied. ¡°Shut the fuck up!¡± Still, no one was around and, she was getting angry. A blue light illuminated on the panel, there was a soft hiss, that made her look to either side; again, she wanted to cry with the pain. ¡°This had better work.¡± She whispered as she wheeled herself into the ¡®Vault¡¯.

    The door slid shut, a moment before Sergeant Adrian Greer started his rounds down corridor L3A7, he walked passed the Vault casually, stopping by the huge door. He wasn¡¯t quite sure if he was hearing things or not; he gave his head a shake, telling himself he was hallucinating. Yet he was certain that he heard a hissing sound. ¡°Never mind Greer, this place is full of ghosts.¡± He moved on, making a note that perhaps he might check in on Doctor McKell and see how Squadron Leader MacGregor got on.

    Four feet six inches away from where Greer stood, Cate had a set of tools from a small kit she brought with her. She had prised the cover off the inside door control panel. ¡°That will do it.¡± Three wires hung from the frame, cut neatly, so that she could easily re-connect them when she needed to.

    Up to this point, she hadn¡¯t paid much attention to what the Vault held within its protective walls and security door. But now, as she turned her wheelchair around, her breath caught in her throat.

    The air was thick with a strange mix of scents; sterile hospital antiseptic still clinging to her skin and clothes, mingling with the subtle musk of old parchment, aged metal, and something earthier, almost like forgotten tombs. Her stomach twisted, not in fear, but in the sheer weight of the history that surrounded her.

    Then she saw it.

    The golden sarcophagus dominated the room, its polished surface gleaming under the artificial lights. Cate had seen the research, read every documented case file, memorised the physiological effects¡­ but none of it quite prepared her for this. It was beautiful, almost hypnotic, its ornate carvings whispering of power and the untold stories of those who had lain inside before her.

    Her fingers flexed against the armrests of the wheelchair. This was a Goa¡¯uld device¡­ designed to cheat death, to sustain hosts for centuries. The risks were enormous. And yet, her body ached with every breath, her vision swam in and out of focus, and the pounding in her skull was relentless. She had no choice.

    Cate swallowed hard and exhaled, her gaze finally pulling away from the sarcophagus to the rows of shelves packed with treasures; gold, relics, artefacts of lost civilisations. ¡°Oh, my dear Vala, if only you could see this,¡± she murmured, a wry smile breaking through despite the pain. It was like stepping into the Goa¡¯uld equivalent of Fort Knox. A part of her wanted to reach out, to run her hands over every artefact, to decipher their histories¡­ but there was no time for that.

    Not yet.

    She tightened her grip on the wheels of the chair and rolled forward.

    <hr>

    A blaring alarm sounded throughout the hospital, nurses and aides rushed to room twenty seven where young Tyra stood by an empty bed. She had finished her errands for Colonel Bixby and since her duty finished at 1200 hours and it was now 1115 hours, Michelle gave the cadet the rest of the day off so she could spend some time with Cate. Panic swelled in her chest when she found the room vacant. Lieutenant Aonani Fuamatu was doing his handover to Captain Louise Jarenko, his replacement for the afternoon shift. Dusty Dixon had finished his morning flight on CAP and Nugget Bianchi was with him. They both wanted to see Cate as soon as they had finished their duty. The room was quite suddenly very crowded.

    ¡°She was here with General O¡¯Neill.¡± She pleaded. Acid was forming in her stomach with the approaching fear that came with it.

    Everyone tried to talk at once and since Dusty was the most senior person in the room, when he spoke, they all fell silent. ¡°Have a look around Tyra, is anything missing?¡±

    Before she answered, Francis gave her hand a squeeze. A little support like that went a long way. Tyra went around the bed, she pulled the drawers on the bedside table, they were empty. The only thing she could see was Cate¡¯s backpack and the laptop that was on the bed, closed. ¡°I brought up a change of clothes for her, a set of BDUs, they¡¯re gone.¡± She didn¡¯t want to, the circumstances had forced her to; she looked in Cate¡¯s backpack, Tyra fairly well knew the contents. ¡°She has this small bag of things, um, gadgets, Cate keeps. I think it¡¯s stuff she keeps from her spy days.¡±

    ¡°Christ!¡± Dusty exclaimed. ¡°That woman will drive me insane. She is up to something.¡± He tapped his coms. ¡°General O¡¯Neill.¡± He said.

    Jack¡¯s radio crackled to life. ¡°General O¡¯Neill.¡±

    He tapped his earpiece. ¡°Go for O¡¯Neill.¡±

    Dusty¡¯s voice came through, clipped and tense. ¡°Sir, we¡¯ve got a situation. Cate¡¯s missing.¡±

    Jack froze. ¡°What do you mean missing?¡±

    ¡°In the literal sense, sir. She was here. Now she¡¯s not. Room¡¯s empty, BDUs gone. We think she¡¯s up to something.¡±

    Jack squeezed his eyes shut. ¡°Dammit, MacGregor. Why wasn¡¯t she being watched?¡±

    A new voice cut in; Lieutenant Aonani Fuamatu. ¡°Sir, she was there five minutes ago. I walked past her room after you left. She hadn¡¯t moved.¡±

    Sam couldn¡¯t help but to overhear Jack¡¯s conversation. ¡°I think we should check the security camera feeds.¡± She didn¡¯t wait for an answer.

    A few keystrokes later, a monitor lit up. They scrolled back an hour. The footage showed Cate in bed, talking to Jack. Then, as soon as he left, she was reaching for the wheelchair, then she seemed to be doing something with the beer can Jack drank from, they could see her using some kind of device. A few minutes later flung back the blankets, awkwardly got into the chair and after gathering some things, wheeled herself out. The next clip showed her arriving at the elevator.

    There was a moment of anxiety before they managed to pick up her trail again. This time exiting the elevator on level three. They saw her exchanging a few words with the SFs. Another feed caught her rolling down the corridor, right up to the Vault and using the sensor, she had the door open.

    Jack¡¯s jaw clenched. ¡°Someone wanna tell me how the hell that was possible?¡±

    Cam shrugged. ¡°She¡¯s ex-CIA, sir. She can do pretty much anything.¡±

    Daniel, not looking up from the monitor, corrected him. ¡°ASIS, actually. Not CIA.¡±

    Jack waved a hand. ¡°Whatever. It¡¯s the same thing.¡±

    They didn¡¯t have time to debate it further. Jack, left with SG1 closely on his tail, they met with Dusty, Nugget, and Tyra, before all of them made their way down to Level Three. The Vault¡¯s entrance loomed before them, the biometric scanner pulsing with an ominous red glow.

    Jack pressed his thumb to the panel. Nothing. The light stayed red.

    ¡°Cate disarmed the controls,¡± Sam concluded. ¡°Only she, can open it now.¡±

    Jack scowled. ¡°Alright, call up the gate room. Get Siler over here.¡±

    Twenty minutes later, Chief Master Sergeant Siler arrived, toolbox in hand. He eyed the door, then Jack, then back at the door.

    Jack folded his arms. ¡°We need through that door, Siler.¡±

    Siler sighed. ¡°Sir, this thing is a metre thick. It¡¯d take hours to cut through.¡±

    Jack threw up his hands. ¡°Who the hell put that in place? This isn¡¯t a damn bank!¡°

    Daniel cleared his throat. ¡°Uh, you did, Jack. When we built this place.¡±

    Jack shot him a look. ¡°And when did anyone ever listen to me?¡±

    He turned back to the group. ¡°Alright, options. What do we do? We don¡¯t have hours. The Alliance could be here any minute.¡±

    Sam exhaled, crossing her arms. ¡°We don¡¯t have to do anything.¡±

    Jack narrowed his eyes. ¡°Carter?¡±

    She nodded at the door. ¡°We wait.¡±

    Jack scoffed. ¡°Wait? She just locked herself in with a Goa¡¯uld sarcophagus, for cryin¡¯ out loud!¡±

    Sam¡¯s lips pressed into a thin line. ¡°Exactly. Which means she¡¯ll come out soon.¡±

    Jack frowned. ¡°And?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll probably want to court martial her, General.¡± Cam told him, his expression unreadable.

    Up until this point, Teal¡¯c had kept his mouth shut. He did have something to say now. ¡°I think that would be an ill-advised plan O¡¯Neill.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t often someone could put Jack in his place, Teal¡¯c could always be trusted to be the one who did so. Jack was curious though. ¡°That would be, why T?¡±

    ¡°Squadron Leader MacGregor was merely following your own doctrine.¡± He half bowed as if he had just done Jack a great service.

    Vala chuckled. ¡°It would be a little contradictory wouldn¡¯t it General?¡±

    Poor Jack¡¯s face was going scarlet. ¡°Is everyone gangin¡¯ up on me?¡±

    Sam gave him a knowing look. ¡°It would seem so sir.¡±

    ¡°So, we wait?¡± He hated resigning himself to defeat. Surely, he had something up his sleeve.

    ¡°We wait.¡± Sam repeated herself.

    <hr>

    For nearly three hours, the corridor outside Vault on section L3A7 had been a pressure cooker of impatience, speculation, and, because SG-1 was involved, a steady stream of questionable humour. Jack paced like a caged lion, Dusty leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, and Tyra and Nugget hovered nearby, eyes locked on the massive, red-lit door.

    Daniel had abandoned all pretence of professionalism twenty minutes ago and was now playing tic-tac-toe with himself on a data pad. Vala had taken it upon herself to shake the vault door every so often, just in case ¡°tactical rattling¡± made it open faster. It did not.

    Then, finally, with a deep mechanical groan, the door began its slow, deliberate slide open. Everyone snapped to attention. The air was thick with anticipation, like they were about to come face-to-face with some ancient horror; because, knowing Cate, that wasn¡¯t entirely off the table.

    As the heavy panel pulled back, revealing the eerie glow of the vault¡¯s interior, Cate stood there in full BDUs, barefoot, looking every bit like someone who had absolutely just done something inadvisable. She blinked at them, head tilting slightly as if confused why they were all here.

    A long silence.

    Jack was the first to recover. ¡°Cate, I have exactly three questions. One, what the hell were you thinking? Two, why are you barefoot? And three, why do you look like you just spent three hours in a salon?¡±

    Cate gave a slow blink, as if still piecing together reality. ¡°...In my defence, that sarcophagus is a hell of a power nap.¡±

    Jack pinched the bridge of his nose. ¡°Oh, fantastic. Now she¡¯s well-rested and breaking all my security protocols.¡± He turned to Dusty. ¡°I think we need to consider an appropriate punishment for this level of insubordination.¡±

    Dusty, who had been biting back laughter, shrugged. ¡°Well, sir, normally we¡¯d do two hours of CAP duty for minor rule infractions¡­ but considering she staged a full-blown heist on our own base, I¡¯d say four.¡±

    Sam arched an eyebrow. ¡°Four hours? You sure that¡¯s enough? Maybe throw in an additional debrief where she has to explain this to Landry.¡±

    Daniel, arms crossed, nodded sagely. ¡°That might actually be worse than the flight hours.¡±

    Vala, eyes gleaming with mischief, gestured grandly toward the vault behind Cate. ¡°Darling, you just cracked open the mother of all treasure troves and you didn¡¯t fill your pockets? I¡¯m honestly disappointed. We should rectify this immediately.¡±

    Cam, exasperated, shot her a look. ¡°Not happenin¡¯, Vala.¡±

    Cate rubbed the back of her neck, finally registering the entire squad staring at her like she¡¯d just crash-landed an Al¡¯kesh on the White House lawn. ¡°¡­So, does this mean I¡¯m not getting lunch?¡±

    Jack groaned. ¡°Get her out of here before I demote her to latrine duty.¡±

    Nugget, barely containing his grin, moved to escort Cate out of the vault, only to pause. ¡°Uh¡­ should we be worried about any lingering side effects?¡±

    Cate gave him a slow, almost mischievous smile. ¡°Oh, I feel fantastic.¡±

    Jack immediately pointed a finger at Sam. ¡°Carter, I want her scanned, have the medics run every test they have on her.¡±

    She resigned herself to the blatant fact that they had all put poor Jack through enough. Sam didn¡¯t argue the point, as much as she wanted to. After all, he had been in a sarcophagus at least eight times when Ba¡¯al tortured him. Daniel once or twice and neither of them were raging megalomaniacs, were they? ¡°Yes sir.¡± She said sweetly.

    <hr>

    24 hours to Zero hour:

    After all the hubbub had died down sometime in mid-afternoon, after Cate had met with her mates in the 56<sup>th</sup> ¡®Buzzards¡¯ squadron and a short conference with Elle on the Invincible and some of the unit commanders on the base. There was no surprise from Elle when she was told of Cate¡¯s ¡®miracle¡¯ recovery; in her own words, ¡°I would have done the same.¡± Two other ships stood ready to defend PG8-K59, the Chekov and the Daedalus. Due to joining them with the next twelve hours was the Hammond and the new battle ship, Aurora. (named in honour of the Ancient ship of the same name)

    Cate retreated to her room. She needed some alone time, except of course for her shadow, Tyra. The girl was sound asleep on Cate¡¯s bed; dead tired after being awake for almost twenty four hours. Cate sat at her desk, holding a silver framed photo of her parents. She had a video meeting with her mother, which ended rather abruptly. Cate really didn¡¯t expect it to be any different, with Anne calling her selfish. She could see her mother¡¯s point of view, still, it was stinging and it hurt deeply.

    Long range scanners revealed that at least twelve large ships and numerous escorts were on their way. Intelligence from various sources that included the Tok¡¯ra, said that the Alliance were going to mount a ground attack in the first stages, possibly landing as many as twenty thousand troops. The base¡¯s tactical planners, in coordination with the regional commanders of the Cavaleiros, had identified three areas where the most likelihood ground offensive might start. All in the south. Landings north of the Alpha Site and Foreston was ruled out because of the terrain, which was mostly marsh lands and thick forests, as well as the Merrenden River and the Flood. Both extremely wide and deep. The river ran from the Flood just a kilometre north of the Alpha Site boundary, sweeping around to the east beyond Foreston, then eight hundred kilometres south until it fed the swamplands and massive wetlands of Ecador, the southern independent nation of the Wold. (the Cavaleiros name for their continent).

    Those critical three areas were, the plains five kilometres south east of the city of Merrenden, a six hour march from Foreston, following the two roads that ran parallel to the river. Altan, a large fishing village on the west coast, roughly mid-way between the Alpha Site and Merrenden, and lastly near the shores of the Putaro lake, eight kilometres south east of Foreston. Stargate Command had dedicated artillery, tanks and fast moving infantry cavalry units using light armoured vehicles, as well as troops to all three areas. The Cavaleiros had in place somewhere near fifteen thousand infantry, which included mortar teams placed among the Tau¡¯ri. It was a lot, quite a lot to commit as far as Earth was concerned.

    Now it was a waiting game. Just twenty-four hours left, and still, Cate wondered if it would be enough. The Alpha Site had committed everything they could; their best minds, their best soldiers, their strongest allies. The Cavaleiros had pledged their forces, standing side by side with the Tau¡¯ri, ready to fight for their home. Thousands of lives hung in the balance, and yet, as Cate traced a finger along the edge of the photo in her hands, she couldn¡¯t shake the cold knot in her stomach. She¡¯d fought battles before, but this one felt different. Bigger. The kind that either changed history¡­ or ended it.