It’s All In the Delivery
The range was busy, with several personnel from both NORAD and the SGC completing their firearms re-certification.
I saw Sergeant Morley beckoning from the other side of the large room, and headed over to join him, smiling at the other members of the shooting team. This was the first time I had been able to attend a practice for months, and to be honest, I wasn’t sure when I would be free again. Morley and I had already agreed that it would be better not to rely on my participating in any competitions, and he had begun actively recruiting new members. I saw at least three new faces in the group, two I didn’t recognise, and one I did. Lieutenant Hong was standing beside Sergeant Ramez, the only other regular team member from the SGC. I nodded pleasantly at them. Ramez smiled back, Hong just looked surprised.
“Do you have time to wait until after the try outs, sir?” Morley gestured towards the group, “They look pretty keen, but that doesn’t mean much.” We both laughed, then he continued. “Would you like me to introduce you?”
I shook my head, pleased I had worn BDUs to the range. “No, why spoil their fun.”
The first up was an airman from NORAD. He looked nervous as he walked to the firing position, but visibly steadied, and completed a good clean round. He stood back, smiling at the words of approval.
The major was next. I mentally ran through the list of NORAD personnel, confirming to myself that she was new to the base. I hadn’t met her, I was sure, knowing I would have remembered her. She was tall, with perfectly groomed brunette hair, and a figure to die for. She stepped up confidently, finishing her round rapidly. Her score was good, but not great, and annoyance flashed in her eyes.
Hong performed well, the best of all three, but I had expected that. The selection process for SG teams was rigorous in every aspect, but especially in combat skills.
We took a short break, several of the regular team getting soda from the machine. I swallowed a coke in two gulps, sitting with one hip propped on the table. Major Freeman was talking animatedly to Morley, and I could see he was a little irritated by the conversation. I moved closer, and caught a few words. It was obvious the major felt she was entitled to another chance to prove herself. There was nothing intrinsically wrong in that, it was rather, the demanding method she was using to try and get her way. She had obviously worked out that she was the senior officer present, and wasn’t above letting her rank do the talking. I listened for a minute or so, quite sure Morley was more than capable of dealing with the situation. At one point I caught his eye and he gave me a quick smile, which I returned.
However, as the time passed and still the major argued, I made a show of looking at my watch, letting Morley see. He nodded in understanding, and stood.
He called the group’s attention to him. “We need to be getting on. Some of us have to be on duty soon.”
We walked back into the range proper, and began our practise. Major Freeman stood off to one side, a slightly superior expression on her face. We moved through the regular team members, and I saw Hong giving me speculative looks as I waited. I had already asked to be up last, as I had another motive apart from just a chance to relax with the team. As I finally moved forward, the range officer came over, and nodded. I had very few chances to do my re-certification so had asked to combine it with my shoot.
My teammates stopped talking, straightening up and finding better positions to see from. The three newcomers must have picked up on the interest, as they moved forward as well, Freeman looking puzzled.
I looked at the target, and felt the strange warmth flow through me. I was finished before I had even fully realised I had begun, the sound of gunfire ringing around the range as I took off the earmuffs.
Oh shit!
Pool and shooting.
Damn!
The range officer’s eyebrows crawled up into his hairline as he looked at the target. Then he wrote rapidly on the form in his hand and gave it to me.
I had a perfect score.
“I assume you passed, sir.” Morley gave the target a critical look.
“Ah, yes, Sergeant, I did.”
“May I see that?” A hand reached over and pulled the score sheet from my grasp. I spun. Morley flinched.
“Do you mind?” I held my hand out, but she ignored me and continued to read.
“Major.” She glared at me, apparently not liking what she was seeing, either on the paper or of the man in front of her.
“I beg your pardon?”
“Major. When you address me use my rank.”
Everything stilled around me. The major’s remark had been clearly heard by everyone near us.
I smiled.
“Of course, Major. Report to my office on Level Seven in fifteen minutes. It’s the one marked ‘General O’Neill’.” I pulled the form from her suddenly slack hands and turned back to Sergeant Morley. “I’ll try and make the next practice, Sergeant.”
With a few farewell smiles and nods, I left the range.
o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o
I didn’t often use my office on the upper levels, only when I had to meet with someone on base that didn’t have sufficient security clearance to go down to the SGC.
The knock came dead on the fifteen minute mark, and on entering, Major Freeman stood to rigid attention in front of my desk.
“I would like to apologise, sir.” She certainly sounded apologetic, but I was sure it wasn’t for the right reasons. “I had no idea who you were.”
“I don’t doubt that, Major Freeman, but that isn’t really the point, is it?”
“Sir?”
She pretended she didn’t know what I meant. Stupid woman.
“Major, your rank doesn’t automatically mean you have the respect of others. And if you have no respect, you have no trust. This is a lesson I’m surprised you haven’t learnt by now.”
I looked at her, and knew by her eyes that she hadn’t learnt anything from what had happened.
Well, maybe she had learnt something – not to ever cross my path again.
I dismissed her, telling her I would be speaking to her immediate superior about the incident. As she walked stiffly from the room, I took consolation in the fact that she wouldn’t be on the shooting team She didn’t cut it in more ways than one.
o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o
My tie was biting into my neck, and I tugged at it, scowling into the mirror. You’d think I would be used to wearing one by now, but no – they always made me feel like the circulation to my head was being cut off.
I could hear voices in the corridor outside my office, and made a final adjustment before pulling the door open, a smile on my face.
“George! It’s great to see you, come on in.” I included the other members of the party in my welcoming gesture. “Sirs.”
Generals Vidrine and Jumper followed General Hammond into the room.
“I’m sorry it’s taken so long to do this, Jack.” General Jumper began, apologetically, “But things just seemed to conspire to delay the ceremony.”
Secretly, I would have been happy to have it delayed indefinitely, but I knew the official handover of the Base to my command was as important for the personnel as it was for me, so I smiled in an understanding way. “It’s alright, sir. It took that long to get the stains out of the Gateroom floor after the last party.”
George shook his head at me, laughing as he did so. “I never thought I would say this, Jack, but I’ve missed you while I’ve been in Washington.”
“It’s been a little quiet around here without you, sir.”
“So I hear, General O’Neill.” General Jumper’s voice had that serious tone that I associated with disciplinary hearings. “So quiet that you have to resort to calling the President of the United States to chat.”
I’d never called him. He always called me, just like the last one had. I began to shake my head indignantly when he continued.
“Even when you’re off duty.”
Oh god!
I had hoped that had all been a dream. A fevered imagining brought on by too much alcohol and not enough sleep.
I could take my punishment like a man. After all, what were they going to do? Court martial me?
Probably.
I looked into the stern face of General Jumper, barely registering the muffled sounds coming from his left.
Wait just a god damn minute!
General Vidrine was in fits of laughter, his hand over his mouth. I turned to General Hammond to see a huge grin plastered on his face.
“Classic Jack O’Neill.” General Jumper chortled. “General Ryan warned me about you, but I really didn’t fully appreciate just what having you in my command involved. When I found out what you did, I couldn’t stop laughing. Haven’t laughed that hard in years.”
“Just don’t make a habit of it, Jack.” George raised a finger at me, looking like an old-fashioned school principle. “Especially at 2am.”
I winced.
There was a knock on the door. Colonel Harper nodded at the assembled brass, and looked at me.
“We’re ready to begin, General O’Neill.”
Saved! Thank you! Saved!
“We’ll be right out, Colonel.” I turned to the still smirking men. “Sirs, after you.”
The Gateroom was filled with ranks of SG teams, as well as with as many other personnel that could fit. SG-1 was standing in the front row, even Major Carter’s military demeanour cracking a little, if the small smile was anything to go by.
“Attention!” Colonel Harper’s voice echoed across the space, and there was the always heart stopping sound of many feet stamping together. I stepped up to the podium, thinking about how many times I had seen General Hammond do this, and I had a sudden understanding of Lieutenant Hong and the others like him. I had served closely with George for years. We had socialised, gone out for drinks, and, as friends do, swapped stories. He had served in Vietnam and other hot spots around the world. He had lead teams into combat, lost close friends, been wounded. Some of his scars could rival my own. But it had always been so hard for me to see him as a fighter. He was the father figure, the principal – someone you went to for advice and admonishment. It was easy to forget he had once been in the front line.
I was moving away from the front line with every day I didn’t go through that gate. Not only could I see it in the eyes of the youngsters, I could see it in my own every time I looked into the mirror.
I placed both my hands on the smooth surface in front of me, and looked out over the assembled faces. Most of them I knew well, had served side by side with for years.
I smiled, opened my mouth and…
Shit!
Shit shit shit shit!
“No! You can’t do this!” I knew I was shouting, but I just didn’t care. I was the angriest I had been in a very long time.
This was once too often.
“I am sick and tired of you just grabbing me whenever you feel like it. I have a life you know, and it doesn’t always revolve around what you want. Now put me back this instant!”
“We have need of you, O’Neill.” Myton opened his large eyes wide, giving his face an air of surprise.
“I don’t care! What is it? Don’t you like my speeches or something? No, wait – that can’t be it. You have never given me a chance to finish any!” I towered over the small Asgard, glaring down at him. I knew that if I looked out the large transparent panels, I would see the Earth floating below me, but for once I just didn’t care. All my focus was on the alien in front of me. “I repeat…” I ground out the words, emphasising each one. “Put me back.”
“But…”
“Ah!” I waved my finger in his face, and he took a step back. This time my voice was low, and fierce. “I don’t want to know. The Earth could be about to disappear in a ball of flame and I wouldn’t care. Send. Me. Back.”
“Oh for crying out loud, O’Neill. Will you be quiet for once.”
What?
I spun.
My eyes caught sight of him.
And without thought, my knees bent, folding my body down, and I embraced the figure sitting in the command chair. I felt his thin, bony, sticklike arms, his dry grey skin, and just closed my eyes, revelling in the presence of a friend that had been lost to me for too long.
Thor.
I could feel my lips spreading into a wide grin.
“My how you’ve grown.”
I swear I caught a glimpse of a smile. His soft voice was as full as emotion as I’d ever heard it. “I take it you are pleased to see me?”
I straightened up, pulling my jacket down.
“Yes, of course I am, considering last time I saw you, you were dead.” I tried to stop grinning, but just couldn’t manage it.
Then a sudden thought hit me.
“Hey! What about that DNA stuff? How did that work out?”
“That is why we transported you up to our ship, General O’Neill.” Myton came to stand beside me. “There seems to be a problem.”
“Problem? What sort of problem?” I looked my little grey buddy up and down, seeing if I could spot any hair growing in strange places, or appendages sprouting where they shouldn’t. Nope. Looked fine to me.
“Commander Thor has exhibited an unfortunate tendency to become easily upset.” Myton lowered his voice so that I had to lean towards him to hear him properly. “He raised his voice today. We think it has something to do with your DNA, but unfortunately our scientists are unable to find the cause. We had hoped your medics might be able to shed light on the problem”
Raised his voice! Well, I could certainly see how that was emergency enough to pull me out from under the nose of my bosses. Yes, indeedy.
I glanced at my watch. I had been here for just over five minutes now, and I could imagine the chaos back at the SGC. The Asgard weren’t the only ones with transporter technology, as we had found out to our cost. They must be sh… Ah…very upset.
I made a decision.
A very interesting one.
“Alright. Much though I’d like to stay and chat, I have to get back.” Thor blinked, and I hurried on. “But I have a suggestion. What say Thor beams down with me, and we’ll see what we can work out?”
Myton hesitated. “I am reluctant to agree to this. Supreme Commander Thor is not responsible for his own actions.”
“Oh, give it a rest, Myton. I’m quite capable of looking after myself! I’ve been stuck in the medical bay for long enough as it is.”
That was odd.
Looked like Thor.
Definitely didn’t sound like Thor, or any other Asgard I had ever come across.
Nope. In fact he sounded familiar. I just couldn’t put my finger on it.
I mentally reviewed the personnel in the Gateroom. Everyone had the appropriate security clearance.
I spoke firmly. “I will look after Commander Thor. There is no way I will let anything happen to him. Besides if you are looking for a solution to this problem we will have to consult our specialists, and they are down there.”
Myton turned to another Asgard, speaking to him rapidly in their own language. I heard the words ‘doctor’ mentioned, and a quick discussion on Thor’s treatment. Then Myton turned back and inclined his head once, blinking his eyes slowly.
“Very well.”
They don’t believe in long farewells, those Asgard.
There was a flash of light and I found myself looking out over the assembled faces and heard a collective gasp.
I turned to my fellow generals, still beside the podium. I raised my voice so it could be heard over the sound of the alarm, and looked across at George with an apologetic shrug and a half smile.
“Look what followed me home. Can I keep him?”
The End
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