Higher Echelon: Part 1

Higher Echelon: Part 1

by Gater101

Summary: Set pre-Heroes post Evolution. Earth comes under threat from Anubis as he searches for the Higher Echelon spoken of in the Ancient's 'Prophecy'
Category: Action/Adventure, Angst, Drama, Romance, Series
Season: Season 7
Pairing: Jack/Sam
Rating: 13+
Warnings: character death, minor language
Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. I have written this story for entertainment purposes only and no money whatsoever has exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author(s).
Archived on: 2005-01-08

Higher Echelon, part 1 By Gater101

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. MGM, Gecko Corp et al do! I'm just borrowing them for now!

~~Introduction~~

"I don't understand how this happened," Samantha Carter argued with her best friend and doctor Janet Frasier. "We used a condom, I'm on the pill, I took the morning after pill. There is no way in hell this can be happening..."

Janet had come out to the Air Force Hospital to inform Sam of the test results she had run before Sam was reassigned several weeks before.

"The fact that you are telling me of all the precautions you took is making me believe that you weren't as free of your inhibitions as you led us all to believe you were..." Janet countered as she read from the clipboard in front of her.

She was dressed in her Dress Blues, but the normal blue jacket had been replaced with the white lab coat of a doctor. Janet was not Sam's friend at that very moment; she was the military doctor she was trained as and her training had led her to make her previous statement.

Sam stared at her incredulously, her blue eyes wide and staring, her jaw hanging loosely around her ankles.

"We may have been under the alien influence but we weren't completely stupid," Sam finally managed and Janet looked at her with compassionate eyes.

She didn't say anything but her eyes held the apology that she seemed unwilling to voice.

"Look, I have to get back to base and I'm sure you have to get back to whatever it was you were doing before I called you. I'll call you later tonight."

With that, Janet dropped her clipboard on the table and left the small room she had been assigned at the Hospital. Sam stared after her, unable to believe what had happened and wondered where the Janet Frasier she had known had gone; the one who was her friend and understood her pain.

Sam sat for a further few minute, looking at the results on the sheet of paper before her. Finally, she stood and lifted the clipboard and walked out of the room and then dropped the clipboard at the reception desk before walking to the main doors and into the muggy grey sky that hung low over her. She looked up and felt a drop of water hit her forehead and she rushed to her car that was parked at the farthest corner of the car park.

The test results had to be wrong.

If you enjoyed this story, please send feedback to Gater101

Higher Echelon: Part 3

Higher Echelon: Part 3

by Gater101

Summary: Set pre-Heroes post Evolution. Earth comes under threat from Anubis as he searches for the Higher Echelon spoken of in the Ancient's 'Prophecy'
Category: Action/Adventure, Angst, Drama, Romance, Series
Season: Season 7
Pairing: Jack/Sam
Rating: 13+
Warnings: character death, minor language
Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. I have written this story for entertainment purposes only and no money whatsoever has exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author(s).
Archived on: 2005-01-08

Part 3

Sam slid further into the covers in her darkened bedroom. It was early morning, she could tell because the horizon was only beginning to lighten. She hadn't slept at all. Not a wink: her night eyes filled with images of Jack on their night on the planet. She still couldn't escape it, even after everything that had happened to her.

She could remember facing the Secretary of Defence as he told her that she was not being discharged from the military, that her expertise was too valuable to the Air Force, but that she was being reassigned to Area 51 where she could work on anything that the offworld teams discovered.

Her heart had dropped from her body then. She knew that her clearance would be lessened, she would not know where the scientific doohikcey's came from, only that they were. She knew that she would no longer be a part of SG-1. No longer a part of the SGC. She couldn't imagine her life like that. But she had accepted the terms, not allowing herself to take the cowards way out, like O'Neill had done.

She was thinking about the absurdity of her being pregnant with, what was obviously, Jack's child. She had taken every precaution to avoid it. Every precaution so that she could eradicate that night from her memory. But it seemed like that was unable to happen. She would never consider abortion, that was not an option. And neither was adoption.

She needed Janet: her opinion and advice was what Sam had lived on for the past few years. And now that was torn from her. She knew her friends - especially Daniel and Janet - were exceptionally angry at her. Daniel had accused her of being selfish and not thinking about her actions. She didn't know how to respond to that, she had expected him to understand her position. But then, he must have realised the implications of her actions. He must have realised that SG-1 would not remain; no matter how hard everyone tried they would be torn apart. Fraternization was strictly forbidden, for everyone, including those who work within the Stargate Programme. She had regretted her actions everyday since then. She knew that it was wrong. But at the time it hadn't been.

At the time, she had been truly besotted with the man. She still was in a sense, but it wasn't how she expected it to be. Maybe it was because they were under the influence of an alien virus, but it hadn't been as magical or spectacular as she thought it was going to be. It was `nice' and in a sense that was worse than it being terrible. There was no passion. No indication of what they're feelings were. They barely kissed each others lips, apart from the first overly passionate kiss which seemed to spend all their fire for that night.

She looked out again and noticed that the Sun was beginning to peek over the pink-ish bungalow across the street from her and she realised she had been thinking for longer than she thought. She was about to roll over onto her other side when the telephone next to her bed started buzzing in her ear.

She groaned and threw her arm in the general direction of the device and picked at it with tired hands. She held it to her ear and pressed ANSWER.

"Carter," she said and noted that her voice was croaky from lack of sleep.

"Sam?" The gentle voice asked from the other side of the line.

"Janet, hey it's me," Sam managed after a short stunned silence. Janet had been abrupt with Sam the previous day and Sam did not expect this phone call.

There was a long silence where neither knew what to say and Sam was about to ask how Janet was when the woman spoke.

"Sam, listen, I'm sorry about yesterday... I was rude and it was uncalled for. What I'm calling for - other than to apologise, of course - is to see if you're free tonight so we can have dinner and catch up?"

Sam thought for a moment. Catch up clearly meant `talk about what you're gonna do'. Sam sighed and remembered she had an experiment to run on an artefact recovered by SG-15 to see if it had any strategic advantage that Air Force could use.

"Not tonight, I have work to do on the artefact SG-15 brought back from... wherever they were. But I'm free tomorrow if you're still free?" Sam said, with a slight hint of regret.

There was a pause where Janet thought about the offer then answered:

"Sounds great, I'll come round at about 7.30 and we can see what we want from there?" There was a loud wail in the background and Sam knew that Janet had to go then. "Listen, I have to go, I've just been called to the gat-"

"It's okay, go." Sam hung up before Janet did and flopped back down onto her bed.

That could be SG-1 that Janet was being called for. Daniel and Teal'c were still on SG-1 but Sam didn't know who had taken command, and she doubted she would find out until she received something discovered by SG-1 - team leaders had to sign all reports, one of the many tasks in paper work the Colonel hated.

Sam paused at her thought and forced herself not to rub her hand over her stomach - she hated how clichd it looked. Instead, she rose from her lying position and trundled across her room and into the en-suite shower room and turned the hot water on.

It was going to be a long day.

TBC

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Higher Echelon: Part 5

Higher Echelon: Part 5

by Gater101

Summary: Set pre-Heroes post Evolution. Earth comes under threat from Anubis as he searches for the Higher Echelon spoken of in the Ancient's 'Prophecy'
Category: Action/Adventure, Angst, Drama, Romance, Series
Season: Season 7
Pairing: Jack/Sam
Rating: 13+
Warnings: character death, minor language
Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. I have written this story for entertainment purposes only and no money whatsoever has exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author(s).
Archived on: 2005-01-08

Part 5

The two former members of Stargate Command sat in silence and stared at the tabletop in front of them. Neither was brave enough to look up to General Hammond in fear of seeing the truth in his face.

Jack pulled at the cuff of his leather jacket and rubbed his hand across his denim-clad jeans, unaware of the General's gaze on his face. Sam was reaching forward to pick up a glass of water from the centre of the table, thought better of it then stopped. Instead she cleared her throat and looked up to where the General sat at the head of the table.

"How," her voice caught in her throat and she cleared it before continuing. "How long... sir?" She asked before quickly glancing to her left side at O'Neill. What was she to call him now?

"We can't be sure, Major. From what the Asgard-" at that O'Neill whipped his head around and raised his eyebrows in question. Hammond nodded at the answer to O'Neill's unasked question. "Yes, Jack, that big." He let that sink in then continued the statement he had began. "From what both can tell us, Anubis is looking for something in particular: this isn't merely a power strut. And it's here on Earth. But he doesn't know that. He's systematically drawing around all of our allies and friends to find this thing. The Tok'ra haven't a clue what is happening because we haven't been able to contact them thus far. We're hoping they're just being cautious. "We can't be sure if the Tok'ra know, but from what the Asgard have told us I'd be surprised if they did." He stopped there and waited for one of them to click onto the words he had uttered.

Sam looked at him with wide eyes, her dank hair not lessening their piercing effect.

"But the Asgard know?" She asked at the same time that O'Neill uttered the words:

"The *Tok'ra* don't..."

She turned to him and was met with his stare, which turned from soft and familiar to steely and distant as they connected. She swallowed the lump in her throat and looked to Hammond.

Hammond nodded.

"They're unwilling to share this information at this point in time. Thor said that you would know what to do when the time comes," Hammond paused again and this time O'Neill was the first to understand the General's statement but kept his mouth firmly locked. "Yes, Jack, you. And Major Carter."

Jack's jaw tensed and his lips pursed together in an attempt to bite back a derogatory statement. Sam's face hardened but she was not so unwilling to speak her mind as Jack.

"Sir, with all due respect, Colonel O'Neill has retired and I have been reassigned. What good are we going to be?" Carter knew her statement was useless because she knew why they had been recalled.

"'Cause, Carter, we've just been recalled." Jack whipped his head around and stared icily at her. "I thought at least you would have figured that out," he all but leered.

Sam's eyes glazed over and she fought hard not to retaliate to O'Neill's idiotic behavior.

"That's enough Jack, you may not be formally recalled but this is still my base," Hammond warned and Jack simply shrugged his shoulders in an insubordinate manner. "The Asgard would not - and will not - elaborate on their cryptic message, however they did insist that you both be recalled to the SGC and put on the front line of defence. Again."

Sam sank further into her chair as her head was pummelled with information. She was going to have to tell the General about her... condition. She could not possibly be out on the front line; she would be a liability to both the team and her world. She angled her head slightly to her left and noticed that Colonel O'Neill was watching her, a concerned frown creasing his forehead. Then it snapped away along with his face. She felt like groaning loudly but decided against it.

"Now, I have a telephone meeting with the President about reinstating both of you into this facility. Until I notify you both, I am ordering you to stay the quarters assigned to you both for the duration of your visit." Hammond noted the look on O'Neill's face that quite simply said `You can't order me to do anything'. "I'll post a guard outside your door if that is what it takes to keep you there, Jack."

Hammond moved from the room and Sam stood and O'Neill stayed in his place. Sam stood for a few more seconds hoping that Jack would say something. When he didn't she pushed her chair back and left the briefing room and found the guard who had escorted her down standing outside the door waiting for the briefing to finish.

Jack stared at the retreating figure until she was out the door, then he banged his head down on the dark wood table. His anger was dissipating and he had to fight the urge to ask her if she was okay, if she was up to fighting the damn Goa'uld, how was she dealing with the fact that Anubis could quite possibly have wiped out the Tok'ra - maybe even her dad? But he couldn't do that. Couldn't allow the mask to slip, couldn't allow her back into his life. For both their sakes.

{~}

Sam stared icily into the mirror on the cheap, military dresser and frowned at her complexion. Her eyes were ringed with dark circles, her hair was greasy and limp, her face pale and drawn. She searched the closet to her left and found a clean black T, and clean Air Fore Blue shirt and matching pants. She checked in the shower room to ensure there was shampoo and shower gel and clean towels. Noting that all were present, Sam stripped and entered the shower, not caring that it was far too hot and she would look like a lobster when she exited.

She spent no more than five minutes in the shower, in fear that she would miss the General's call for her and O'Neill to go back to the briefing room. She threw on her old undies and her clean clothes. She hated not wearing clean underwear when she came out of a shower but at the moment, it was all she had.

She slumped onto her bed and lay staring at the ceiling. She recalled the ice-cold tone of O'Neill's voice and knew that he was still angry with her. He had every right to be. And she had every reason to be apoplectic with him. He had been the one who started whatever the hell it was when they were on the planet. He had taken the cowards way out of their situation and left her to deal with the Court-Marshall on her own. He had glared at her the moment he had seen her. He was the reason she was hidden in some basement at Area 51 and not out there fighting with him. And she was reason that he was a retired Air Force Colonel who had no idea he was going to be a father again.

She groaned as that thought entered her head and thought of how she was going to tell General Hammond.

`Oh yeah, General, I can't comply with the request of the Asgard sir.' `Why's that Major?' `Well... I'm pregnant with Colonel O'Neill's child.'

She laughed at the irony of it all.

She lay for ten minutes when suddenly there was a loud wailing as the klaxons sounded, which could mean only one thing: there was an unscheduled offworld activation. Sam stood and was about to run to the gateroom when she remembered her position within the SGC - or lack thereof. She sank back down onto the bed and winced at her mistake.

Another twenty-five minutes past before Sam heard the announcement that she had to return to the General's office.

(~)

"General Hammond, sir," Jack bounced around the door into Hammond's office two seconds after the older man had picked up the red phone.

"Jack, what can I do for you?" Hammond asked after a frustrated silence of two seconds.

Jack cleared his throat before continuing.

"I can't work with Carter," he stated simply and flinched before Hammond could even move a muscle in his face.

There was a thick silence after the young man's words where Hammond dropped the red phone and stared at Jack.

"Jack... I know this is undoubtedly hard for you. I know how you feel about this woman-" Hammond began but Jack cut him off.

"It's not that... well it is but..." he flinched again, a result of not knowing what to say. "I know I won't be able to keep a straight mind when I'm out there on the field. I can't begin to imagine what it is going to be like. I mean come on General, you saw us in there! You know what she was like before... well before... you know what I mean," Jack flustered and Hammond nodded.

"Son, I-"

"General, please, just consider it. Tell the president my argument and if he can't handle that then tell him I'm not coming back and I'm going to go and catch those fish in my lake that have managed to evade me for the last forty odd years of my life."

Hammond sat in silence again after Jack's outburst and didn't know what to say. He opened his mouth several times but the words seemed never to rise from his throat.

They stared at each other for five more minutes, neither knowing what to say when the klaxons sounded. Hammond moved then.

"Jack, go to your quarters. This is all classified from you until further notice," Hammond said swiftly and moved past Jack signalling the Airman to enter the room and escort the older man to his quarters.

"Yeah, I'm moving, I'm moving," Jack grumbled when the young man attempted to move him by gripping onto his arm.

(~)

The three were standing in the briefing room, Jack and Sam aware that something was very, very wrong only by the fact that Hammond would not look into their eyes, or anywhere near their faces.

When he finally spoke, after a long silence that none of them felt was pleasant, he continued to stare away.

"The President has ordered that you be reinstated back into the SGC and back into the commands that you once held." Hammond's voice was devoid of emotion and he still would not look at them. "You are both," Hammond looked fleetingly at Jack as he said the words then away again to the Stargate in the room below, "to be reinstated onto SG-1."

Sam and Jack didn't rejoice. They didn't move. They simply stood and waited for Hammond to continue.

Another long, awkward silence continued and Jack was about to burst when Hammond turned to them, tears glistening in his blue eyes.

He ducked his head once again, swiped at his face and cleared his throat.

"Teal'c is dead."

If you enjoyed this story, please send feedback to Gater101

Higher Echelon: Part 6

Higher Echelon: Part 6

by Gater101

Summary: Set pre-Heroes post Evolution. Earth comes under threat from Anubis as he searches for the Higher Echelon spoken of in the Ancient's 'Prophecy'
Category: Action/Adventure, Angst, Drama, Romance, Series
Season: Season 7
Pairing: Jack/Sam
Rating: 13+
Warnings: character death, minor language
Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. I have written this story for entertainment purposes only and no money whatsoever has exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author(s).
Archived on: 2005-01-08

Above his head Colonel Jack O'Neill could hear several death gliders swooping in for another round of fire. His lungs burned as they struggled to inhale more oxygen; his legs ran across the vast field towards the Stargate, occasionally jumping over a few rocks and bodies of fallen Jaffa and fellow SG members; the blood pumped around his body and he could feel it pushing it's way through the veins in his wrist and temples, away from his heart; his breaths coming in mixed waves of shallow rasps then deep, oxygen filled inhales that propelled the blood faster to his quickly moving legs; his feet thudded along with a hundred or so others as they rushed from the burial of Teal'c and Rag'nor in their respective `fancy dress'. Ahead of him he could see Carter and Daniel, running as fast as everyone there; Carter was running in her stocking clad feet after discarding her heeled shoes after she tripped over her ankle running in them. On either side of him was a group of roughly twenty Jaffa, SG-2, SG-3, SG-9 and the remaining members of SG's 12 and 15. The Jaffa were struggling under the weight of their ceremonial robes and the humans were struggling in their Dress Blues and polished shoes. Behind him, last time he checked, was Janet Frasier, Bra'tac, Jacob Carter and several Jaffa and some Tok'ra who had come to pay respects to Teal'c and Rag'nor.

The ground shuddered violently and Jack fell onto the muddy, wet grass because of the vibrations the enhanced power of the gliders had caused. A red heat charred some hairs on the back of his neck and he could feel the intense heat rise from the close call rushing up his legs and back. He wasted no time in rolling back onto his feet and, with a quick glance behind him to see the rapidly diminishing numbers of his friends and allies, continued running towards the Stargate that he could see was already engaged: out-going or incoming, he didn't know, he didn't care; he had to get there anyway. He ran past and over more bodies that had been hit by the second round of blasts. His eyes ran over the bodies with his legs and he faltered when he saw one body in particular. Burned on the shoulder, muddied, covered in debris and charred clothing but oh-so-very-alive. He didn't hesitate to grab Daniel and throw him over his shoulder and continue towards the shimmering surface that would either be their saviour or their doom. His knees groaned in complaint but he ignored them. His body was continuing its speedy pace on adrenaline alone. He heard the "zzhdoom" of several more blasts hitting the ground and, inevitably, more good people but he kept running.

He wanted to look behind him, to see how many were still alive, still following, but mostly he wanted to ensure that he had not run past the dead or alive body of Carter but he didn't, he couldn't. His legs urged him closer and closer to the `Gate and he saw two people standing ushering everyone through the water-effect event horizon. It was saviour. As if knowing that safety awaited them, his legs moved faster, at a speed he didn't even know he had. He had no time for thought - hadn't ever since the first wave of gliders and Ha'taks attacked but now he thought only one thing: he had to make it, he had to make it, he had to make... Reaching the steps at the bottom of the `Gate he tried to climb but his adrenaline rush ended and he stumbled over the first step, falling onto the ground, jarring his knee and dropping Daniel from his shoulders. He tried to lift himself up but failed. He felt strong arms encircle under his shoulders and pull him up: he didn't complain and leaned heavily onto the side of his rescuer. He turned and saw Lieutenant Hailey, smiling slightly, looking back at him. He hobbled up the steps and tried to dodge the hot debris that was spurting from the ground. At the fluctuating event horizon he glanced over his shoulder: four figures were rushing towards the `Gate carrying between them two sacks; behind and above them was four death gliders that were flanking a Ha'tak. Jack felt the ground shudder violently as one of the blue energy orbs from the larger ship impacted the already ruined ground and then he was dragged through the `Gate into sanctuary and darkness.

~, ~

"We're not sure what happened, Sir," Major Samantha Carter told General George Hammond, as she, Colonel O'Neill (who was remaining stubbornly tight-lipped and glaring at her), Major Craig of SG-2, Lieutenant Colonel Feranski of SG-3, Captain Harriet of SG-9 (Colonel Taylor was killed on the planet) and the only two remaining members left of SG's 12 and 15 sat around the briefing room several hours after the attack on the planet.

O'Neill looked at her exasperated.

"We know *what* happened, sir." He stared pointedly at her. "We were attacked by Anubis. Or we were told it was Anubis. A whole big bunch of good people died while running for the `Gate. Daniel *could* have been one of those people had I not picked him up after he was left for dead!" His last word was more vicious than he had intended it to be and he watched as Sam's face hardened.

"What would you have me have done, Sir? Let myself be hit to check and make sure he was okay? I'm sorry, Colonel, but I had other things on my mind. Like trying not to be killed!" Her tone was equally as contrite as his but he would not back down from this. She could have been the death of Daniel.

"What are you? A Major in the United States Air Force, who swears by the motto of `No one gets left behind'?" He watched as she nodded reluctantly. "You left him behind!" His voice has risen a few decibels and he was surprised that Hammond hadn't interrupted by this point.

"I thought he was *dead*!"

"You didn't stop to check! Even I could see that he was very alive and I was a good few feet away from him! You, on the other hand, were right next to him and you left him behind!" He barely managed to get his words out before she had a comeback.

"And what about all those innocent people that we - that *you* - left behind out there, *Sir*?"

"That's enough Major, Colonel!" Hammond finally interrupted. He stared at them both with fiery blue eyes but they continued to glare at each other, to stare each other down.

Hammond must have noticed that neither was ready to back down, so he addressed Carter directly.

"Major, you were saying before this little tte--tte?"

Sam narrowed her eyes slightly at O'Neill before looking away and directly answering Hammond.

"We don't know how it happened, Sir."

Jack closed his eyes, and drew his lips into a tight line and tilted his head away from Hammond. He felt a searing pain and stopped the movement, wincing at the pain it caused. He reached a hand up and felt the bandage still in place. He had suffered a slightly chaffed neck and singed hair; his dress blue, however, had not gotten off so lightly - his trousers were torn at the knee where he had fallen up the stair and his jacket suffered third degree burns. His medals, badges and other decorations were removed and the wasted clothing was laid to rest in the bin.

"The location of the Alpha Site, as you all well know, is top secret. However, it isn't the first time that the position has been compromised. All we could do was run, we were unarmed and sitting ducks, sir."

Hammond nodded and there was silence for a few seconds.

"Would it be worth sending back a S&R team?" Hammond asked and all the occupants of the briefing looked at each other hesitantly.

"I don't think sending a search and rescue team through would be any use, Sir," Captain Harriet informed him. "For one thing, there isn't much that could withstand that attack. Second, if any one did, Anubis will have taken them prisoner. But it's unlikely, Sir. With an all out attack like that, no one was supposed to survive."

Everyone nodded but stared at the table.

"Very well," Hammond concurred. He hesitated before he continued. "At the same time, a simultaneous attack was launched on several of this galaxy's protected planets. The Asgard informed us of this, at least seven planets were attacked, and they gave us this information to warn us that we may well be next. We took it upon ourselves to inform some of our allies: the Tok'ra, The Nox but we can't get into contact with some and we can only hope the best."

Sam was the first to speak up at this.

"Why didn't you tell us this before?" She asked, trying to hold the irritation back form her voice.

"Because, Major, what could you possibly have done?" Jack said as he swung his head back towards her and raised an eyebrow in question at her. She remained silent. "Exactly."

Hammond shook his head again but didn't say anything to his two best officers. There co-operation was vital for this `crisis' and even that was hanging by a thread. The tension in the room was building again as the two once best friends stared each other down from across the table. Sam's eyes were wide and blue; Jack's were narrow and deep brown.

"What is it that Anubis is trying to do?" Feranski asked, breaking the atmosphere slightly and Jack leaned forward on his hands and looked further down the table at the middle-aged, black haired man.

"It seems like he's trying to kill off our allies so we have no one to turn to." It was Captain Laura Harriet who answered and several heads swivelled towards her. "What? It makes sense. Kill off the more advanced ones first then the smaller, more primitive ones. It's a well-known fact that we're a compassionate bunch and it wouldn't take us long to try and support our weaker allies. I think it was just a fluke that we - humans - were on the Alpha site. Well not every human there, because my team was posted there-" at the mention of her team she faltered slightly and stopped talking, reaching into her pocket to retrieve a handkerchief instead.

"I think what Harriet's trying to say, Sir, is that this is some sort of plan. And we're only seeing it from a tiny piece and not knowing the grander scale. I mean what sort of bigger warning is there than killing off our allies? Especially those who are under our protection on our own Alpha site. It's quite lucky that the Tok'ra have moved from there or their numbers would have been seriously diminished."

"Again," Sam interrupted Feranksi's speech. Feranski nodded to show that she was finished speaking and Sam picked up where she had finished off. "Who do we turn to when we need help?" She didn't wait for an answer. "The Tok'ra, naturally. And last time Anubis checked, the Tok'ra were still with us. And what better way than to kill two birds with one stone?"

"And set our radars on red alert?" O'Neill finished and Sam nodded.

"Exactly. But what he didn't count on was the Tok'ra finding a new home world."

"So he thinks that the Tok'ra are dead, we could use this wa-ay to our advantage."

"Exactly, sir," Sam concurred and smiled slightly at O'Neill who smiled smugly at her; not because he's gotten one over on her but because they'd gotten one over on Anubis.

Hammond had watched the familiar interaction between the two with nothing short of a knowing grin pasted on his face but he removed it as soon as any one looked at him.

"What about the remaining Jaffa and SG members, Sir?" Lieutenant James Reid - the only survivor of SG-15 asked.

"They're currently assigned to rooms or the infirmary on base and there is no where that we can send them. I've spoken to Bra'tac and he's agreed to try and convince them to stay here on Earth and help us from this side. The President is currently in meetings with the Joint Chiefs about team assignments for the Jaffa."

"General?" Jack asked, hearing for the first time, the beginnings of a plan.

"Don't worry Colonel, I was going to inform you," Hammond said smiling slightly patronizingly. "I've put forward the idea of having teams of Jaffa as SG units and Jaffa assigned to SG teams, to help reinforce the power and also to keep the Jaffa active so they don't complain too much."

"Uhh... is that a good idea?" Jack asked sceptically, still not fully trusting the rebel Jaffa, especially not after the scenario with the Goa'uld pretending to be a Jaffa a few years ago.

"Actually, sir, I think it is. Think of it as having a team of Teal'c's and a Teal'c on each team," Sam said as she punctuated her words with hand gestures. Then she winced as she realised what she said. "I'm sorry, sir, I just... I forget..."

Jack nodded in understanding but remained silent, thinking about the fate of his friend. He sighed audibly and drew Hammond's attention.

"I tag Bra'tac," he jokingly informed the other team leaders around the table. "Sir," he continued after a few moments of thoughtful silence. "I think we're going to have to create a whole lot more SG teams, both Jaffa and human, and try and fight this one out there-" he motioned his hand upwards towards the ceiling "-and keep it as far away from Earth as we possibly can. Hold back the President from announcing it to the other countries for as long as possible."

"Colonel?" Hammond queried, though he knew where Jack was coming from.

"We're not bringing this one home, sir," Sam finished for him and she and Jack shared a nod and smile, forgetting the hatred and anger between them: they had a world to save. Again.

There was, yet another, thoughtful silence where each member in the room thought of what that entailed for them. It was Hammond who broke the silence.

"The bodies of Rag'nor and Teal'c that Dr Frasier, Jacob and Bra'tac carried back through will be given a full ceremonial, and we're not sure about whether to bury them or otherwise. We'll leave that decision up to SG-1 and Bra'tac. The survivors are being transported to the Academy Hospital; Dr. Jackson will be going with them. His burned shoulder will keep him out of rota for at least a fortnight, but SG-1 will continue on mission. However, all reconnaissance missions are off, for all teams, until this matter is resolved."

No one in the room missed the false optimism Hammond displayed but they all smiled and nodded.

"Dismissed," he told them and left the room.

"Okay..." Jack said as he slid back his chair and followed the others out of the room and continued following the leader as they all made their way to the infirmary to check on individual people, who had ended up in the infirmary.

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Higher Echelon: Part 7

Higher Echelon: Part 7

by Gater101

Summary: Set pre-Heroes post Evolution. Earth comes under threat from Anubis as he searches for the Higher Echelon spoken of in the Ancient's 'Prophecy'
Category: Action/Adventure, Angst, Drama, Romance, Series
Season: Season 7
Pairing: Jack/Sam
Rating: 13+
Warnings: character death, minor language
Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. I have written this story for entertainment purposes only and no money whatsoever has exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author(s).
Archived on: 2005-01-08

"A ship is floating in the harbour now, A wind is hovering o'er the mountain's brow..."

Part 6

"Fletcher, what's your position?" Colonel O'Neill asked hushedly, his voice barely rising above a hoarse whisper.

He - along with Major Carter, Major Craig, Lieutenant Esthers and Lieutenant Ford - was perched atop a clifftop facing down into a rocky crater at least one mile in diameter. The cliff edge was lined with trees for roughly three quarters of the circumference; the clearing on the East side of the bowl creating a pathway through the trees into the cesse pit that was the base.

In the centre of the hole fifty feet below him, there was a problem. Fifteen Goa'uld Ha'taks and Alkesh were harboured and - much like a seen from 'Star Wars: Attack of the Clones' - Anubis' Kull Warriors were ordered neatly, in perfect grids covering every inch of bare soil left uncovered by the ships. There were thousands of them.

"We're almost in position, sir, another couple minutes," Fletcher's voice crackled loudly over the radio and O'Neill winced.

He raised his binoculars to his eyes and searched the distant tree line for activity. Seeing none he lowered them again and skimmied forward to peer into the Clone Bin. There was still no activity; none of them had moved. Perfect order. Machines designed with the sole purpose of following Anubis' order to kill.

Whatever happened to good old enslaved Jaffa?

Like Teal'c, many died in the fight to liberate themselves and others like them. A seemingly hopeless battle. As much as he tried, O'Neill could not accept that Teal'c had died free in the fight against the Goa'uld. There was no shot-down-in-a-blaze-of-glory escape for Teal'c. A mechanical failure in one of the cargo ships had caused it to meet a dreary end crumpled up like a sheet of paper on the floor of a densely forested planet. Teal'c and Rag'nor's bodies had been - surprisingly - virtually unharmed. Caused of death: suffocation.

"We're in position and ready on your mark, Sir."

O'Neill slid back to his group further back in the treelines. Carter was lying flat on her front, her head slightly raised so she could breathe; Ford and the others were in relatively the same position - they were at least creating eye contact with him as he shimmied across the twiggy undergrowth. Once he reached Carter's side, he pressed on the button on his radio.

"This is O'Neill," he addressed the two hundred listening to his voice. "We have nowhere near enough manpower or firepower to win this: we cannot destroy them all. However," he looked to his left as he spoke and quickly looked away when brown eyes met blue. "We can take a huge chunk out of this operation and hopefully stall any attacks. So... on my mark, I want everyone to give all they can. Get to the treeline and await my order."

A few seconds of silent shuffling ensued before O'Neill was informed that all units were awaiting his order. He once again looked at Carter and found her staring straight ahead. He nodded to himself: they were ready.

"Three, two, one -" he began pulling himself up and reaching for grenages in his vest pocket. "Mark."

His legs propelled him upwards and adrenaline rushed him to the edge of the basin. His arms were moving of their own accord. At the edge of his peripheral vision he could see Ford kneeling and yanking up a grenade launcher, much like his own actions. There were a few seconds of deadly silence while the numerous miniature bombs flew through the air.

Then it all began. Countless explosions followed, almost simultaneously. He watched the horizon expectantly as he reloaded his launcher. From behind him he could hear the telltale sounds of arial assault. He glanced upwards and aimed his artillery downwards. Five X-302's shot over his head dropping fifteen Naquada enhanced warheads into the pool of shooting Kull Warriors. The orange flashes of the Drones weapons spread outwards frm the epicentre of the chaos and upwards at the Fighters. one was hit on the left wng and Jack could see that it was down on the unmanned perimeter.

The noise was incredible. Explosions from the cesse pit; 'fzzzz' of Kull weapons; screeching from the X-302 engines as they ducked and dived and fired mercilessly into the Drone Army; the shouts of his team members as they shouted that they were switching weapons. And then he heard it: the dull Thud Thud of the rotary wing of the AH-64A/D Apahce. He looked to the western horizon and saw, like in all the movies, the black sillhouette springing into the picture - only here it was moonlight instead of the roaring red of dusk Sun. Ten of his favourite aircraft spread over the horizon and emptied masses of bullets into the crater and caused the fine hairs on the back of his neck and on his arms to stand to attention.

The sky was swarming with human aircraft brought to the planet by an Asgard mothership, and all the weapons had been enhanced with the enhanced TER weapon - what Jack had aptly named the 'Kull Killer'.

Jack dove for cover and dragged Carter and Craig with him as a volley of lethal energy blazed above them. There was cracking and snapping and Jack rolled onto his back and looked skyward but his vision of the perfectly clear starlit sky was blackened by a thick object descending towards him.

Instinctively, he rolled to cover Carter only to find she had done the same with him. His hands came in contact with her back and hers his arms. They stilled and stared at one another, uncertain of what emotions were running through them. An unnervingly loud crash emanated from and he instantly sprang out of his half embrace with Carter. The tree had fallen on top of Major Craig and Lieutenant Esther. He moved swiftly, deftly avoiding fire from the enemy (which seemed decidedly closer now) and checked for pulses on both necks.

Dropping his head slightly before glancing back up, he looked into the expecting eyes of Ford and Carter and shook his head. A heavy silence followed with the two subordinate officers stared dumbstruck at the huge log.

Ford glanced to Carter and then back to the warfare taking place below from above.

"Sir!" He shouted and pulled his enhanced P-90 from its eutral position under his arm. Expertly, Jack and Carter followed and rushed to the edge of the sheer drop of cliff. Roughly fifty Kull Warriors were ascending the slpe to their position, similar numbers carrying out similar tasks to the points where fire was coming from. Fear momentarily stilled the three and then Jack snapped out and fired at the Clones while radioing for the rest of his people to fall back to the 'Gate.

"We can't keep the 'Gate open for you on the other side. You'll have to redial when you get there," he shouted as he, Carter and Ford ran backwards away from the cliffedge.

"When?!" Carter questioned loudly as she fired at the first robotic assassins to emerge from the dip.

"Yes, Carter. When!" He yelled back without pausing. "Ford, take point, fast as, I'll take the six!" He ordered hotly, his voice being muted by the by the loud vibrations caused by thte rotating wings of the helicopters.

"Yes, sir!" Ford called as he ran off at a lightning speed.

Carter hesitated when she saw Jack step towards the treeline again.

"Sir?" She queried and reached a hand out to his to stop him.

"Carter, go!" He told her as he stepped away from her, his eyes sliding away from hers.

"Sir!" She bellowed and Jack could tell her eyes were wide with fear - fear for him.

"Just go!" He spun around and could see her stubborn refusal in her eyes. "Carter," he stated forcefully. "Don't hold the 'Gate for me."

He walked away before she had a chance to argue and he heard her leave. Several more drones appeared and were swiftly shot down. He couldn't comprehend why it was taking the Clones so long to get up the slope but decided against arguing. He ran full pelt around the perimeter for five minutes until he found the Naquadriah bomb the Asgard had so kindly created and beamed down for him. Quickly working the dials and buttons with nimble fingers, O'Neill set the timer for ten minutes and placed the round device Thor had given him on top of the device as instructed.

Then he ran. As fast as his knees would allow him. He had been a ten minute run from the 'gate at his location with Carter and Ford.

He knew the math, knew the slim chance of him actually making it. The thought didn't scare him as much as he had thought it would, strangely. He fired several times at Drones who had made it past the treeline perimeter while he was gone.

Carter had explained to him the mechanics of the new guns: something about continually changed the mass of neetroneeemos (or something of the sort...) so that the Super Soldiers wouldn't become immune to it's lethal effect.

He glanced at his watch. Four minutes more and he would be at the 'Gate. But he didn't have four minutes more.

Behind him, he could hear an explosion of massive proportions.

He stopped running.

For God, King and Country.

For Sam Carter.

A wave of light engulfed his form.

TBC.

Please, send feedback.

Coming in part 7...

"Sam don't!" He watched in despair as she walked calmly around their defensive wall. She didn't even stop or hesitate at his use of her name. "Major Carter, I am ordering you to stop!"

She kept walking.

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