The first clue was the angry stare that Major Carter fixed on him after he had ordered the iris closed, and they heard the thup of Alar hitting it. Whoa, she didn’t usually look at him like that. In fact, the only time he’d ever seen that glare from her was when he did something unusually stupid and cruel to Daniel, which in all fairness, he tried not to do too often.
The next clue was on the face of Daniel himself. A mixture of emotions played across his usually soft features as he stared at his CO; anger, hurt, disappointment, defiance. Not a happy combination. Jack didn’t get a chance to study the phenomenon at much length, because Daniel turned suddenly and stalked out of the gate room without a word.
The third clue was the look of puzzlement and concern on Teal’c’s face. O’Neill waved one gloved hand toward him, and said, “Hey, not you too!” The large man merely frowned and shook his head, before following the others through the door, leaving O’Neill standing alone at the foot of the ramp.
--What? What did I do now?--he wondered. It hadn’t been the smoothest mission on record, granted, but not something to make a big federal case out of, either. They’d figured out who the bad guys were in the end. Case closed.
Except that it didn’t seem to be closed. When he crossed paths with Daniel in the shower room, the young scientist had made no secret of the fact that he was avoiding him. All O’Neill got from him was a cold shoulder, literally a shoulder, when he’d tried to start a conversation. He soon found himself standing alone in the locker room, as well.
He said to himself, --Hey, do I smell bad or something?-- But in fact, he was starting to get nervous. The clues were telling him he was in trouble.
So he wasn’t all that surprised to walk into a piss poor atmosphere in the conference room when it was time for the debriefing. The two humans were sitting at the table with their heads together, talking in an animated whisper, while the Jaffa stood with his arms crossed looking down at the Stargate through the plate glass window. General Hammond hadn’t arrived yet. As soon as Jack walked up the stairs into the room, Carter and Daniel stopped talking and looked down at their respective note pads. Teal’c didn’t move.
“Alright, campers, that’s it. What the hell’s going on with you guys?”
No one answered right away, but at least his dark friend turned to look at him. After a moment, Daniel said politely, “I think I can speak for all of us when I say we have some concerns about how this mission was carried out.”
“Hey, I already admitted you were right, and I should have listened to you sooner. What more do you want?”
“Your behaviour toward me is part of it,” the young man nodded seriously, “but not the central issue. We went too far today. You went too far. What you did at the end was way over the line.” His cool demeanor was starting to heat up. “You shouldn’t have gotten involved with their battle, not like that! Jack, you killed people!”
“They deserved it. You saw what they were, they were trying to exterminate anyone with a different skin color.”
Carter couldn’t stay silent any longer, “But they had technology that would have really helped us, saved lives, revolutionized our power generation capabilities. That was worth talking about, at least, and you just threw it all away!” She’d even forgotten to call him sir.
Colonel O’Neill turned to the other man in the room, “Teal’c, surely you don’t defend those people?”
“I do not defend them, nor do Major Carter or Daniel Jackson. And I understand your wish to punish these people who had concealed so much from us, used us. But perhaps we could have in some way utilized their knowledge to our own benefit. In the fight against the Goa’uld, we can not afford to reject an opportunity, simply because a culture’s philosophy is distasteful.”
“I don’t believe I’m hearing this!” Jack turned again to the archeologist. “You were the one saying all along that we shouldn’t be helping the Eurondans. Well, you were right! We helped them kill innocent people before we knew any better, and we needed to make up for that. Settle the score.” His voice had increased in volume considerably during this discourse.
Daniel answered, becoming red in the face with emotion, and ever louder himself, “I never said we shouldn’t help them, I said we needed to find out more information first, to make a decision about it. Yeah, in the end I probably would have opposed giving them military assistance, but there’s more to it than that. Maybe we could have built some kind of productive relationship with them, taught them something, convinced them that they were wrong. You can’t influence someone by killing them, you can’t judge and execute someone just like that. There were lot’s of other options we could have considered, but your damn ego stepped right in.”
“What?”
He was now shouting in restrained anger. “Your ego! You’d been played for a fool, and wanted payback, that’s all. So you made the decision all by yourself to destroy their central complex and let Alar die against our iris. You didn’t have to do that!”
Jack responded in kind, “So I should have stood by and watched them commit genocide?”
“The Eurondan’s opposition was obviously on the verge of winning all by themselves. If nothing else, if nothing else, you could have just walked away, Jack. Just walked away!”
At that moment, General Hammond stepped into the room, and cut through the raised voices, “That’s enough! I want an explanation for this behavior! Everybody on this level can hear you.”
Daniel turned back to his note pad, and slumped down in his chair, sulking. Carter and Teal’c also avoided the General’s gaze. That left Jack to answer, “We’re just having a little disagreement, sir. We’ll work it out.”
General Hammond sat at the head of the table, glaring at them. “May I remind you that this is a military installation, and I expect all of you to behave with something approximating military decorum. Maybe you’d better tell me just what happened on that planet. I’m familiar with events right up until I sent Dr. Jackson and Major Carter back with the container of heavy water, and orders to find out more about those people. What the hell happened?” He turned to Daniel, “Dr. Jackson?”
Daniel simmered for a moment, flashed a look at Jack, then back at the table. “We found out that the Eurondans did indeed start the war. It was a racially based conflict, with the white skinned Eurondans trying to eliminate a racially diverse group that they called ‘breeders’.”
“What else did you find out about them?” Hammond looked at Major Carter.
“Their cold fusion technology was astounding. Alar had prepared a data storage unit with all the information we would need to replicate their energy, weapons and medical technology. But I also realized that they built those tunnels before the war even started, and in fact had been the ones to purposefully poison the atmosphere of the planet in an attempt to kill off their enemies.”
“That’s most alarming, Major. It’s a good thing we didn’t send them any more aid. So how did you leave it with them?” Now he turned to O’Neill.
“When I realized what was going on, I used their planes to help destroy the command center area of the tunnels. Then I ordered my people to withdrawal back through the gate. Alar wanted to come with us, but I closed the iris to prevent that.”
General Hammond stood up in distress. “You what? You turned their own weapons against them, and then knowingly killed their leader?”
“Hey, I warned the asshole not to follow us!”
“What about the data?”
Carter answered succinctly, “The unit was broken.”
Hammond sat down again, and briefly rubbed his face with both hands. He looked at Jack with concern. “Son, I don’t think you realize how serious this is. The Pentagon is already aware of the benefits we were hoping to obtain on this mission, and now I’m going to have to tell them this. I am not pleased, and they are not going to be pleased. Colonel, what can you say in your own defence?”
O’Neill was genuinely confused, “Sir, these were bad people. We didn’t want what they had.”
“That wasn’t your call to make, Colonel. I’m most disappointed in you. Is there anything else you should tell me?” he asked the people around the table. No one spoke. “All right, I want full reports from all of you, this afternoon!” He stood and strode briskly from the room, closely followed by the rest of SG1, leaving Jack standing alone again.
He sat down at the table, and rested his chin on his hands. Had he really screwed up that badly? Was Daniel right, did he do what he did out of spite? He sighed. Let’s face it, Daniel thought he was wrong, and annoyingly, Daniel is always right. Carter thought he was wrong, and she’s just about always right. Teal’c thought he was wrong. General Hammond. That in itself was pretty damning evidence. What were the chances that they were all wrong, and he was right? What did it matter if they were all wrong and he was right, if they all thought he was wrong?
--OK, let’s look at it. I may have over reacted a little bit. I was angry. So what? So,… a culture died and all kinds of goodies were lost to us. People died, and there’s no going back. And it was my decision alone. Oh shit, I may have screwed up, and now everybody’s mad at me. Shit!--
Jack sat in the conference room going over events in his head, working out what he should have done differently. The farther into it he got, the more a sinking feeling developed in his stomach. --Jack old buddy, you’ve messed up before, but this one’s a gem.-- There wasn’t a whole lot he could do to make up for it, but he could begin by apologizing. And he knew who to start with.
Jack opened the door to Daniel’s office expecting to find the archaeologist huddled over his desk, looking at a rock or tapping away at his computer terminal. Though the computer was on, no one was at the desk. A quick glance around showed the room to be empty, but his instinct told him that someone was in there. He called, “Daniel?” No response.
He stepped into the office, closing the door behind him, and became aware of soft snuffling sounds coming from behind a book case. He moved in farther, and found the source. Daniel was sitting on the end of the cot which he kept in his office for those inevitable all nighters. He was squeezed into the corner formed by the wall and one edge of the book case, knees pulled up to his chest, forearms crossed over the knees, head down on the arms, the very picture of despair. Alarmed, Jack said softly, “Daniel?”
The young man lifted his head to reveal a red face, and tears running down his cheeks.
Jack moved closer, “My god, Daniel. What is it?”
“Go away, Jack. Your pet civilian is having a bad day, but you don’t need to get involved.”
“I won’t go away until you tell me what’s wrong.”
Daniel answered, his breath catching as he tried to hold back the sobs. “Everything’s wrong. What are we doing this for? What’s the point of trying to save Earth or the offshoots of the human race out there in the galaxy? All we know how to do, is to do horrible things to each other. Everywhere we go, people are killing other people – forget the Goa’uld, they have nothing on us. No matter how long humans have been separated from Earth, no matter how they develop, it always ends up the same. Some people hurting others for no good reason. Here on this planet we’re the worst of them all – look at the newspapers, look what we do to each other! - so we take it with us wherever we go.”
As Daniel spoke, Jack felt his heart contract into a small, hard ball. Those people who hurt other people, that was him. It’s what he’d done for a living all his adult life. And when he looked back on all the policies and beliefs he had killed and been willing to die for, how many of them still seemed important? Fewer than he was really comfortable with. Now look how he’d hurt Daniel, and he’d rather die than do that. Jack saw the misery reflected on his friend’s face, and wished that he could crawl into a hole. He sank down to squat on his heels, leaned his elbows on his knees, and covered his mouth with his hands.
Daniel continued, “Fuck, Jack!” He didn’t swear unless he was really upset. “I know, I know, there are all kinds of good people, and don’t give up, and things will get better, and this,” he waved a hand at himself, “will pass. I do know, and it will, but it just seems so pointless right now.” He looked drained after his speech, and leaned his head back against the wall, his face a mask of desolation.
Jack thought, --I’m useless here. There’s nothing I can say or do to help him.--
He said, “I’m probably the last person you want around right now. I should leave you alone.”
The other man looked at Jack through tear reddened eyes. “Yes, I’m so angry at you I could,…” He shook his head, “And I hate being angry at you. But it doesn’t mean I want you to go.”
Jack looked at him in surprise.
“I don’t want to be alone. If anyone else saw me like this, they’d call in MacKenzie and declare me unfit, and put me through tests, and everything would just be worse. Maybe I am unfit. Maybe I can’t take this after all. It’s just getting to be too much!”
Jack moved to sit next to him on the cot, close but not too close. He sighed, and tried to put into words what he was thinking. “Daniel, what you’re saying sounds to me like the rational response of a good, sane human being.” Now Daniel looked at him in surprise. “I can say that now, today. Normally I’d argue with you just on principle, but right now I think that if I’m anything to go by, then you’re absolutely right about people being hopeless – you being the exception that proves the rule. I came here to apologize, for what it’s worth, which probably isn’t much. I screwed up so royally today, I can’t even believe it, starting with treating you like shit. You’d think I’d learn to listen to you, but I’m old and pig headed and too often just plain wrong and can’t see it. I’m sorry, Daniel. I really am. About everything.”
Daniel was calmer now, and staring at him in astonishment. His mouth opened to say something, then closed again. Jack went on, “As for whether you can cut it, well, I don’t have any doubts about that. Not only can you, but you have to, because it’s important. And I know you can because you’re the strongest person I’ve ever met.”
The younger man laughed ironically, “Yeah, obviously. Tower of strength here. Hell, I’m a marshmallow compared to you!”
“Naw, what you may see as strength is just something I’ve constructed over the years to hold me up. That’s the military training and just plain stubbornness. It’s artificial, whereas yours is natural. You’ve been through more than any one person should have to, and you just come back stronger all time.” He reached out and ran his fingers through Daniel’s sweat soaked hair, and cupped his hand at the nape of his neck. “You may crack sometimes, but you don’t break. You’re just having a little crack right now.”
Daniel laughed a real laugh. “That’s me, cracked.” But he looked better.
Jack let his hand drop, and shifted back farther to lean against the wall. “So, do you want to go out tonight and get drunk?”
Daniel, stretching his legs out in front of him, answered, “No. I’m still too angry at you to hang out.”
“I just thought. I could sure use some forgetfulness in a bottle about now.”
“Not this time. I’m going to finish my report, go home and sleep. But thanks anyway.”
“OK.” Jack stood up and walked toward the door. He stopped in the doorway, turned, and said, “And thanks for today. In the debriefing. I know you were holding back in what you said to General Hammond. You could have really laid into me, and I would have deserved it.”
“Yeah, you would have.” No ‘but I forgive you’ qualifier.
Jack sighed, “Goodnight, then.”
“’Night.”
Jack went back to his office, head and heart heavy. He had more apologizing to do, but that was all he could take for one day. He sat down to work on his own report, which ended up being very thorough and candid.
****************************
They were off the next day, and Daniel spent the time walking in the mountains, getting himself back into shape. The next morning, he stepped out of the elevator and practically ran into General Hammond, wearing his dress blues, who was flanked by an obviously agitated Carter and Teal’c. He drawled, “Hey, what’s up?”
Hammond said briskly, “Dr. Jackson, I’m on my way to catch a plane.”
Sam blurted out, “They’ve arrested Colonel O’Neill!”
“Wh...what?”
The General turned to the woman, and said placatingly, “Now you know he isn’t under arrest. It’s standard operating procedure in a case like this.” He turned to Daniel again, “A hearing has been called in Washington to discuss Colonel O’Neill’s conduct in the matter of Euronda, and determine an appropriate response.”
Sam cut in again, “They’ve relieved him of duty, and they’re going to replace him as CO of SG1.”
Daniel’s distress was evident. “They can’t do that!”
“Now, son, nothing has been decided yet, it may not come to that. But I assure you, they most certainly can replace him if that’s the judgment.” He looked at each of them in turn. “I’m sure I don’t have to remind you, Major Carter, or any of you, that this is an Air Force matter; you’ll have to leave it in the hands of the inquiry board. I’m on my way to Washington right now, and I will certainly do everything I can for the Colonel. I’ll let you know as soon as there’s any news. Now if you’ll excuse me,…” He stepped into the elevator that an airman was holding for him, and was gone.
Daniel turned to the other two, “I can’t believe this! Sam, Teal’c, what happened?”
Teal’c explained, “A detail of security personnel…”
Sam interrupted, “They sent armed MP’s!”
“…intercepted Colonel O’Neill as he was about to leave the base yesterday evening, and escorted him directly to an airplane bound for your nation’s capitol.”
“They put him in handcuffs!” Sam’s disbelief was obvious as she went on, “They did that to Colonel O’Neill, after all he’s done for this program! For the entire world! Don’t they remember him risking his life just a few weeks ago to save the planet from the Replicators?”
They were walking along the hall, and entered Daniel Jackson’s office together.
Daniel asked, “So what can we do?”
Teal’c intoned, “General Hammond made it clear that this is a matter for the higher officials. I do not know what intervention we can undertake in this instance.”
Sam continued, “Teal’c’s right. Apparently, the Joint Chiefs are already involved, and the President himself has sanctioned the hearing. I shouldn’t be talking about this the way I am, since they’re my superior officers. It’s just,…” she looked down in distress, “that it’s Jack.”
Daniel paced back and forth in the small space. He pulled himself up, and said with determination, “OK, so Sam you can’t do anything because of military hierarchy, and Teal’c really can’t do anything because, no offense, but they aren’t likely to be influenced by an alien warrior, but I can do something!”
Sam shook her head and said, “Daniel,…”
He cut her short. “No, you don’t understand. He came to see me the other day to apologize, and I was terrible to him. I was so angry I laid this big guilt trip on him. He wanted company that night, and I told him no, and let him go away thinking I blamed him for pretty much all the unhappiness in the universe. He was feeling horrible about himself, and now this. What if he lets them do him in, just because he feels guilty? You know he’s capable of that!”
Sam asked, “But what can you do?”
“I’ll go to the hearing. I know I’m just a civilian, but I’ll make them listen to me. I won’t let them fire him. At the very least he’ll know he’s not alone. He’ll know we support him.” Daniel stopped and looked questioningly at the others. “You do support him, right? I know we were all pretty mad at him before.”
Sam spoke first, “Daniel, how can you ask that? Yes, he did some questionable things on Euronda, but this is Jack we’re talking about.” She sighed, and ran a hand through her hair. “We just lost him twice in the last few months, first on Edora, then when he was busting up that NID unit. We almost lost him to the Replicators. I don’t know if I can go through that again. We’re a team and we need him.” She finished quietly, “I need him.”
Daniel nodded sadly in agreement, then turned to Teal’c.
“Colonel O’Neill is the finest warrior I have served with. More than that, he is my friend. I am the last person who should hold someone’s mistakes against them; he is, as he might say, only human. Daniel Jackson, if you can offer him assistance of any kind, then I will most gladly do whatever I can to aid you.”
Daniel impulsively reached out and hugged first Sam, then Teal’c, to him. “Thank you.”
They were all a bit misty eyed when Sam asked, “Now what?”
Daniel had a plan. “Sam, you have contacts in the Pentagon. Can you find out when and where the hearing will be held, and hopefully arrange some kind of pass for me? I want to be able to get physically near the right room before people start telling me to go away.”
Sam nodded, “I think I can do that. I’ll get right on it.” She moved to the telephone and started dialing.
Teal’c asked, “And what may I do, Daniel Jackson.”
The other man looked at him, eyebrows raised and forehead wrinkled. “Wish me luck?”
The large head nodded once. “Indeed. Though I do not know if you require luck. Your skill and determination will most likely turn the tide in the Colonel’s favor.”
“I hope so, Teal’c. I really hope so.”
--
The hearing convened early the next morning, in a cold conference room deep in the heart of the Pentagon. The group of 15 people sitting around the large central table appeared to be a stereotypical military gathering: the great majority middle aged white men, with one brown skinned man and one pinched faced white woman. They were all wearing dress uniforms; mostly Air Force, but including also representatives of the Army and Marines. The exception was the one civilian in the room, the President of the United States’ personal assistant, Ben Weaver. Two rows of chairs lined the wall by the door, behind one of the narrow ends of the table. Several aids and other interested parties occupied most of those spaces.
Due to the special nature of the Stargate program, normal protocols were relaxed. At the start of the meeting, the dower General Thompson who was chairing the hearing, read over the facts of the case, as spelled out in the reports of General Hammond and the SG1 team. Colonel O’Neill was allowed to make a statement, and then relegated to the role of observer, as his fate was discussed. He sat in the back row of chairs, in the corner along the wall from the door, and listened to his life going down the drain. With the exception of General Hammond and two other people, the group was obviously in agreement on assigning O’Neill full culpability in the matter at hand. They were not in agreement, however on what the appropriate response should be. They seemed to each have subtle interests to defend, and were using this opportunity to jostle for strategic advantage, as though it weren’t about O’Neill at all, but rather some military board game. The President’s assistant, sitting with his notebook computer open in front of him, maintained a neutral position, asking probing questions of each speaker.
As the morning drew on, the debate began to wind down. The Chairman was about to close the discussion, when the phone by his hand rang. He listened for a moment, then said, “Send him in.” As he hung up the phone, he muttered, “This should be interesting.”
He turned to the assembled group, “Ladies and gentlemen, it seems we have one additional speaker this morning. This person has quite impressively managed to talk his way past several checkpoints, and is insistent that we allow him to address the board.”
Just then the door opened, and an armed and uniformed MP escorted a young man in a baggy civilian suit into the room. Carrying an armload of folders and papers, he stopped just inside the doorway and looked around in surprise at the sea of uniforms.
Seeing the young scientist, Jack slid down in his chair, and held his chin in the palm of his hand, two fingers laid across his cheek.
General Thompson said, “Dr. Jackson, please come in.”
Flustered, Daniel replied, “Oh, um,…thank you.” He moved to the end of the conference table, and deposited his stack of papers on the surface.
General Thompson continued, “I’m sure you are all familiar with Dr. Jackson, the top civilian scientist involved in the Stargate project, and a member of SG1. We heard excerpts from your report on the mission to Euronda earlier this morning. I understand that you have something to add to that? I urge you to be brief, Doctor, as we were about to close this section of the hearing.”
He stood awkwardly at the foot of the table, feeling the waves of hostility flowing around the room. Whatever had been happening here, it was not a happy group of people. And where was Jack?
Having gotten here, he wasn’t sure where to begin. “Yes, um,…thank you for allowing me to address you. I realize that you are all quite busy, and I appreciate the time you’re taking to evaluate this matter.”
Looking around the table, Daniel spotted General Hammond with relief. He thought that he’d seen a couple of the faces passing in the hallway of the Cheyenne Mountain base and he’d met Ben Weaver on two occasions, but didn’t know any of the others. He said to himself, --Hey, I’ve faced tougher crowds than this before. No way I’m going to let them intimidate me.-- He pulled his shoulders back, and faced the group with determination.
“I understand that this hearing was called to consider whether to remove Jack,… Colonel O’Neill, from his position as the leader of SG1. I think that it’s important for you to hear from another member of the team, so you can have a perspective that can’t be found in any mission report. Basically, I’m going to tell you why you must allow him to continue with the team.” Several uniformed men bristled at the word ‘must’. Daniel backtracked, “I’m going to ask you most wholeheartedly to allow him to continue.
“I’m quite sure that you’ve been over Ja….Colonel O’Neill’s service record in detail, so I won’t presume to mention the numerous times he has been responsible for averting planetary catastrophes, such as the recent threat from the Replicators. I understand your concern about the events that took place on the planet Euronda, but I will ask you to bear in mind the bigger picture of his contributions throughout his career in the Air Force, and to the Stargate program.” He touched the top of the pile of papers.
“Jack is the bravest, most trustworthy man I’ve ever met. I know that the rest of the team, and indeed most of the personnel at the SGC would agree with me when I say that…”
One of the men to Daniel’s right interrupted him. “Dr. Jackson, your show of loyalty to your commanding officer is most admirable, especially for a civilian,” he said the word as though it might contaminate his mouth, “but let’s get right to the point. It was clear from your report and other testimony that you disagreed with Colonel O’Neill’s handling of the situation on Euronda. Is that correct?”
“Yes, but…”
“In fact, you disagreed quite strongly, didn’t you?”
“Yes,…”
“And you are aware that the relationship between our government and the people of Euronda, which might have yielded significant strategic and defensive benefits, has been irrevocably damaged by Colonel O’Neill’s unauthorized attack on a civilian population. The Colonel himself earlier this morning accepted full responsibility for the spectacular failure of this mission. How is it that you can stand there and defend his actions? Don’t you think they demonstrate a sever impairment of judgment on his part.”
Daniel shook his head, and replied, hands waving for emphasis, “I don’t defend his actions in this instance. I defend him. Look, he made a mistake on this mission. Jack isn’t perfect, but over the course of these last few years, I can assure you that he’s been pretty damn good. You all know how different things look when you’re sitting nice and safe in an office, as opposed to when you’re on the front lines.” Maybe a strategic error there, as these were the office sitters. “Things happen fast, and there isn’t always time to work through all the options or have the benefit of hindsight. And let me assure you, what we do is about as ‘front line’ as it gets. We regularly find ourselves in situations that have no precedent in recorded human history. Considering that, I think Jack’s instincts have been pretty phenomenal. What happened the other day just makes it clearer what a good leader he’s been the rest of the time. You can’t discard such a valuable resource based on one lapse.”
Someone on the other side of the table broke in, “But it isn’t just this one time, is it? I believe you’ve questioned Colonel O’Neill’s decisions on several occasions in the past, haven’t you, Doctor Jackson?”
Daniel looked a bit embarrassed as he nodded, “Well, it does happen. We…”
“In fact,” the man continued, “you’ve been known to not only question his decisions, but disregard and disobey his orders, have you not?”
“No! I mean yes, but it’s not…”
Someone else chimed in, “So really, don’t you think that you would be better at leading the team? More sensitive to local cultures, less gung ho?”
Daniel was genuinely shocked at the idea. He didn’t realize that they were trying to play him. “My god, no! It would be a total disaster if I were in charge!”
He held up his hands to forestall further probes. “Please let me say this.” He stopped, and gathered his thoughts. “Look, Jack and I do disagree about a lot of things. We’re very different, in our interests, our experiences, our whole way of seeing the world. Um, the universe in this case. I get very excited about encountering new, or old, cultures, finding out why things are the way they are, understanding the connections between places and ideas, finding what we have in common with the people we meet.” He spread his hands, palms up, in the air before him. “I,…I think that’s a good thing. But Jack, he sees a whole different side of it. He’s aware of everything that’s going on around us, what the dangers are, what the strategic implications are as events unfold. He knows how to keep us out of trouble, and how to get us out of trouble if we can’t avoid it. He holds the team together and keeps us going. Believe me, that’s a very good thing, too.
“The thing is, it’s like we complement each other. It’s like I have a perspective that takes in a certain range of the situation. Jack insists, and forces me to become aware of other factors. He expands my perception. And Jack has a perspective that takes in a certain range, and I insist that he take into account other factors. I expand his perception. It’s just that our insisting can sometimes get, well, a little loud. It’s not always the most graceful process. But either one of us without the other would be more limited. We wouldn’t be able to make as good decisions about what to do in these extreme and bizarre situations. If I were in charge, I’m afraid I would get myself and the rest of the team killed within a week. I need Jack to see things that I don’t.”
Someone else joined in, “So you and Colonel O’Neill make decisions in the field together?”
The archeologist’s handsome face pulled into a scowl. “Maybe I’m not explaining myself well. We each have a function on the team, and mine is to use my knowledge to give Jack the best information possible about a situation, and take the lead in first contacts. He’s always made it quite clear that he’s in charge, though, and has the final word. I feel very honored, actually, that he listens to me as much as he does, respects my opinion.” He smiled ruefully, “I know for a fact that not everyone in his position would.”
“He didn’t listen to you on that last mission, did he.”
“Not at first, no, but eventually he did. But that’s not the point. He doesn’t need to listen to me all the time. I’m wrong sometimes, myself. I’m just human, and very fallible. Jack’s human too, and that is the point. Would you want to be hauled before a board of inquiry every time you had an off day?”
“Doctor Jackson, as a representative of the United States government, of the whole world in fact, to alien populations, having an off day is not an option. There’s too much at stake.”
Daniel’s forehead drew inward in consternation, “How can anyone meet that standard? How can you do better than having a capable, intelligent, strong, caring man to represent this world?”
The chairman regained the attention of the group. “All right, Doctor Jackson, I think we understand the point you’re trying to make, and we really must bring these proceedings to a close. Would you please conclude your presentation now?”
“Yes, sir. Thank you, sir. I could go to the next higher level, and talk about how the Goa’uld are afraid of Jack, and how our strongest allies, like the Asgard, admire Jack, but for me what this comes down to is something very personal. When I go through that Stargate, I need Jack O’Neill to be going through next to me. Because I know he’ll bring me back alive. That’s the bottom line. Please let him stay on SG1.”
As he finished, General Hammond gave him a gentle smile, and an approving nod.
Thompson said briskly, “Thank you Dr. Jackson, most illuminating. Now, before we conclude the discussion and move on to deliberation of our findings, do you, Colonel O’Neill, have a final statement?”
As Jack rose to his feet, Daniel spun around in surprise. “Oh hi, Jack. I didn’t see you there.”
As he stepped up to the table, he touched Daniel’s arm and smiled at him briefly. “No, I know you didn’t.” As Daniel took a couple of steps back, Jack winked at him and faced the board.
Holding his hat in front of him, Jack looked at the faces around the table. He lowered his eyes, and began to speak. “I’m humbled to hear my colleague’s passionate defense of me. It reminds me of what’s at stake, not just for me but for the team.” He took a deep breath, and continued, “A lot has been said here today, a lot that I can’t really argue with. I messed up on that last mission, badly, I admit that. All I can say is that I’ve learned a lot from this whole thing, and can assure you that I’ll be more careful in the future. I just ask you to give me another chance. I ask you to allow me to continue to serve my country to the best of my ability, as part of SG1.” He bowed his head briefly. “Mr. Chairman, I don’t have anything else to say.”
“All right, thank you. Dr. Jackson, you are dismissed. Colonel O’Neill, please wait outside while we draw our conclusions.”
The two men walked to the door, which was opened by an armed guard who then followed the pair as they stepped outside. “Please wait here, Colonel.” He indicated some standard government issue chairs lining the institutional yellow/grey hallway.
“Righty-ho.”
Daniel turned to his friend, his face showing his concern, and asked, “Jack, are you all right?”
“Peachy.” They moved slowly across the hall. “So, Danny, thanks for coming down to this shindig. That was a real surprise to see you walk in, and I must say I was a little afraid they’d eat you for lunch. But you did good. Not that it’ll change anything, but thanks for trying.” He set down in one of the square chairs. Daniel sat down too, leaving one empty seat between them. Jack placed his hat on it.
“What do you mean, it won’t change anything. Do you think they’ve decided for sure to fire you?”
Jack grimaced, and looked at the ceiling. “Well, kid, I’m afraid they moved past the topic of whether to reassign me in the first half hour, and then worked methodically through the options of enforced retirement and dishonorable discharge, and right on to criminal prosecution, military court style. They seem to be leaning in the direction of putting me away for a long, long time.”
Daniel’s mouth dropped open. After a moment he said, “Don’t joke with me like that, you’re scaring me.”
“Not a joke, not a joke. Seems I’ve rubbed some people the wrong way over the years, can you imagine? Seems I’ve also got caught in some kind of power struggle between different factions,…I honestly couldn’t follow who wants what or why – politicians,…but there are definitely vested interests in seeing me knocked down. Some bad luck there, wrong place at the wrong time.”
Daniel was adamant. “They can’t do that. There’s no way they could send you to jail, not after all you’ve given, all you’ve been through. You’re a hero!”
Jack snorted, “Ya think? Look, when this is over, I may not see you again, so…”
“No! That is not going to happen. I won’t let it. We won’t. Someone tries to lock you up, we’ll find out where and come and get you out, one way or another. Hey, do you think a few bars and concrete are gonna stop us?”
Jack looked amused. “I know you mean it, and ain’t that nice. But for one, I gotta tell you, high security military lock-ups are a hell of a lot harder to escape from than one of Apophis’ holding cells. More to the point, I wouldn’t want you to. I wouldn’t go with you even if you managed it.”
“What? Jack, you can’t give up and let them screw you over. Look, I know I gave you a hard time the other day, but I really meant what I said in there. We need you. You have to fight this thing!”
“Oh, I will. Through channels.” He caught Daniel’s eyes, and made sure the excited young man saw that he was serious. “You have to understand. I’ve been in the Air Force since I was twenty years old. That’s a hellofa long time, more than half my life, and it’s more a part of me than maybe you realize. True, what I saw in there this morning wasn’t exactly an example of upholding the highest moral and ethical values, but this is how the system works, and I’ve known that all along. I’ve gotten away with bucking the rules and pissing people off for a long time, my luck’s just run out. Whatever disciplinary action they decide on, I’ll accept. Maybe not quietly,” he grinned, “gotta keep ‘em on their toes, but I have to accept it or else my whole life will have meant nothing. Do you understand that?”
“No,” he shook his head, “I don’t understand that. They’re wrong, and I would never accept an outcome like that and neither should you.”
Jack began, “Daniel,…”
“But I do understand what you’re asking of me. You’re asking me not to interfere. I.…I can’t promise anything, but I do hear you. This isn’t over yet.”
Jack reached over and squeezed Daniel’s arm. “Good boy.” He bent over, rested his elbows on his knees, and began to absently study to polished floor. Daniel mimicked the posture, and they sat there quietly for several minutes.
Jack glanced sideways at the other man. “So, about the other day. Are you feeling any better?”
“Yeah. There’s still an awful lot of stuff that doesn’t make any sense, and that’s just the way it is. I can deal with it. I may not be all that strong, but I am at least as stubborn as you.” He treated Jack to a smile. “And besides, there’s nothing like a major crisis such as having your best friend taken away in chains to help you focus on what’s important.”
“Danny, you say the nicest things. And hey, you just keep on being stubborn. Stubborn is good. You do it well.” They both turned back to their contemplation of the floor, and the silence lengthened.
Abruptly, they spoke together, “Daniel, I,…” “Jack, I,…”
“You first,” Daniel flashed a quick smile, “age before beauty.”
“Well, I just wanted to tell you how much it meant to me to have you speak for me like that.” Daniel tried to interrupt, but Jack held up a hand. “No, I really want to tell you. Not only am I glad you forgive me for fucking up on Euronda, which I assume from what you said that you do, but you really taught me something in there. I’d been listening to the shifting currents of the different factions, each one scheming, and,… angling for position. I wondered what approach to take in my final statement that might influence the outcome by supporting one or another. I got pulled into their game. But while you were talking, I realized how fake and crass their game was, and I asked myself, if this is my last sort of public appearance, how do I want to go out? Not what strategic advantage can I obtain, but who do I want to be, for myself. I looked at them, and I looked at you, and I realized that you are the model for me on how to be a better man. I thought, ‘I want to be an honest, real person and speak from the heart like he does. No angle, just what I feel.’ So that’s what I did. Again, won’t make any difference, but I feel better about myself. Going out on my own terms. Thank you for that.”
Daniel looked like he was going to cry. Jack went on, “So if I don’t get a chance, will you tell Carter and Teal’c,…tell them,…oh, hell. That it was an honor serving with them doesn’t quite cover it. You know what I mean.”
“Jack, I still believe it won’t come to that. Please don’t give up.”
“Oh, haven’t given up. Who me, mister positive? But just in case, I, um, I wanted you to know.”
“I know.” Daniel whispered.
“So what were you going to say?”
“Oh, I was just going to ask if you were hungry. I could go try an’ find something to eat.”
“That’s my Daniel, thinks with his stomach. No, thanks, but you go ahead. You don’t have to wait here, anyway. It could be a while.”
“I’ll wait. I’m not really hungry either, just wanted to do something.”
“You’ve done loads.” Jack’s dark eyes caught and held the other man’s blue ones. There was something there, between them, that wasn’t being spoken. And it wasn’t spoken. After a moment, they both returned to studying the floor.
An hour passed as they sat together in the grey sunlight filtering through the clouds and high set windows. The guard standing at the door never moved, except to allow inside some service staff with trays of sandwiches and coffee. Jack commented at that, “Excellent. People are less pissy on a full stomach.” Other than that, little was said between them. Jack drummed his fingers on the arm of the chair, and occasionally stood up to wander across the hall and back before sitting down again. Daniel sat splayed out in his chair, long legs stretched out in front, hands locked together under his chin.
Abruptly, the door opened and an assistant stepped out. “Colonel O’Neill, would you come in, please.”
The two men looked at each other, and stood up. They approached the door, and Jack passed through. When Daniel tried to follow, the guard angled his rifle across the doorway blocking the entrance. Daniel said politely, “Excuse me, but I need to go in there.” The guard didn’t move.
Jack turned back, and told the man, “Hey, he’s with me.” The MP still didn’t move. Jack bristled, “I said,…”
From within the room, General Thompson was heard to call out, “Colonel, is there a problem?” Daniel saw Jack choke back the smart remark straining to fly from his mouth. When he had control, he turned and said, “This guard won’t let Dr. Jackson in, sir. I’d like him to come along, if you don’t mind.”
“That’s up to you, Colonel.” He called, “Sergeant, let him pass.”
The firearm was retracted, and Daniel stepped through and followed the other man to stand before the board.
**********************
Daniel read the room quickly, and didn’t like what he saw. Most of the people there weren’t looking at Jack, and those who were had a gleam of victory in their eyes. General Hammond’s face was set in an angry mask, and he was studying the glass of water in front of him as though he could make it spontaneously combust with the force of his will. None of this was a good sign, and Daniel felt his stomach contract in fear. He looked at Jack’s ramrod straight back, head held high, and said a silent prayer in his friend’s favor.
General Thompson cleared his throat and began, “Colonel Jonathon O’Neill, this board has given thorough consideration to your recent conduct, and has reached it’s conclusion. Colonel,…”
Just then Ben Weaver interrupted the General, “Excuse me, sir. If you could give me just a minute before proceeding.” He was typing away at the keyboard in front of him, and once reached up to tap his ear several times.
General Thompson looked confused. “Mr. Weaver, if you don’t mind, this hearing has already gone on much longer than intended. I’m sure we would all prefer to conclude…”
He was interrupted abruptly once again, “One minute, please.”
The military personnel exchanged puzzled or annoyed glances, and Jack looked back at Daniel with raised eyebrows. Daniel took the opportunity to step closer to his friend. After all this time, it was instinctive to stick close to Jack in a threatening situation, and this sure felt like it qualified.
After a moment, Weaver gave one final tap to his keyboard, and nodded in satisfaction. He looked up and addressed the group. “Ladies and gentlemen, I apologize for the delay, but as you’ll see in a moment, it was well justified. I should inform you that my terminal has been connected to the White House via secure satellite link all morning. This camera,” he pointed out a small black box on the table beside him, “has been broadcasting the proceedings to the Oval Office, and the President has been listening in as his other duties allow. After monitoring the presentations, I’ve just received word,” and he pointed to his ear, “that he would like to speak to the hearing.” Weaver turned his notebook computer around so that the screen faced the room. After a few seconds, the monitor flashed black, and then the image of the President’s face appeared.
The familiar voice emanated from the computer’s speakers, “General Thompson, can you hear me?” The picture jumped and fractured occasionally, but the figure was undoubtedly that of the nation’s highest authority and the military’s commander in chief.
“Yes, sir, Mr. President. And may I say how glad I am that you could…join us…today.” The General’s closed and controlled face indicated no pleasure.
“Now, Bill, I hope you and the other members of the enquiry board will excuse my intrusion into your proceedings, but I’m sure you all know of my personal interest in the Stargate project and my long-held respect for Colonel O’Neill. I’ve been listening in today purely out of curiosity, I just had to know how it was all going to come out. I had no intention at all of becoming personally involved in this. Well, obviously I’ve changed my mind about that.”
The uniformed officers around the table shifted uncomfortably, but refrained from saying anything.
The President continued, “I haven’t heard the full discussion today, as other little matters of state keep distracting me away.” He smiled, but the flickering image did nothing to warm the room. “I’ve heard some things that have disturbed me; to start with I’m highly disappointed with the failure of the mission to Euronda. I’ve come to expect much more from Colonel O’Neill, who despite his difficulties within the command structure has always been an exemplary officer. This latest incident has shaken my confidence, I must admit.
“However, I’ve also been quite concerned with other aspects of the mornings hearing. There’s been a certain,…I don’t want to say viciousness,… but something like that. Ruthlessness, perhaps. I found myself wondering what I was missing, where all this was coming from. Yes, the events of earlier this week on Euronda must be addressed, but the response of various members of this hearing has surely been out of proportion.
“I must say, it was the testimony of Dr. Jackson that swayed me in the end. I just got the impression that there were two different realities at work here, and I feel that I would be remiss in my duties if I did not put the welfare of this nation before political differences. Dr. Jackson reminded us of the immediacy of the situation faced by the off world SG teams, and of the importance of basic loyalty and integrity to the survival of off world personnel, and of the very Earth itself.”
Daniel took another step towards Jack, and let his fingers close around the other man’s arm.
Thompson spoke stiffly, “Are you saying, Mr. President, that you disagree with the enquiry board’s findings?”
“Yes, General, I guess I am. After giving this careful thought, I decided that it is appropriate for me to take advantage of the fact that I can give orders that have to be obeyed. You know I don’t often interfere in internal Air Force matters, but this is a special case. I won’t keep you in suspense; this is what I’ve decided. An official reprimand will be entered into Colonel O’Neill’s record, and he will be placed on six months probation. Any further incidents of this nature will result in an immediate re-evaluation of his status and possible further disciplinary action. He will, however, continue in his current capacity as leader of SG1, and second in command of the SGC under General Hammond.”
Daniel’s hand squeezed Jack’s arm almost painfully. O’Neill closed his eyes briefly, but let no other emotion show on his face.
As backs stiffened throughout the room, the President continued, “There’s one more thing I want to say to you. The tone of the discussion I heard here today continues to concern me. While I appreciate the dedication of each and every one of you in your service to our armed forces, I urge you to re-evaluate your priorities, to put the welfare of the SGC before your own personal interests. The very future of our world depends on it. Now, is that clear?”
After a low murmur (grumble) of assent sounded around the room, General Thompson confirmed, “Of course, Mr. President, we will be most glad to follow your directives in this matter.”
The President then excused himself, and the satellite link was broken. The Chairman spoke one last time. “Colonel O’Neill, you have heard the outcome of today’s hearing. You’ve had a very close call here, soldier, and I will warn you that your actions will be observed with the utmost scrutiny. Step out of line, and you’ll find yourself back here before us faster than you can say court martial, and I seriously doubt that you’ll be quite as lucky the next time. Understood?”
“Yes, sir.”
“You are dismissed.”
As the hearing broke up, the tension in the room was palpable. The participants formed smaller groups to discuss the turn of events in low voices, often throwing hostile looks at O’Neill. Only General Hammond moved toward Jack directly.
Hammond reached out and shook Jack’s hand, trying to keep a grin off his face. “Congratulations, son. I’m glad you’ll be with us a while longer.”
Jack responded, “Thank you, sir. I just wanted to tell you that I really am sorry to have let you down, and I won’t let it happen again.”
“See that you don’t.” The General was still smiling. He then glanced meaningfully around the room and said, “I have some loose ends to tie up here, so I’ll see you two men back at the base. Oh, and Dr. Jackson. Well done. I’m glad you disobeyed my orders and went ahead and interfered.”
Daniel flinched, rather than nodded. The two left the room, and worked their way out of the maze that is the Pentagon.
As they stepped into the chilly afternoon air, Jack stopped his friend. “So, looks like you saved my life again. Just for that, I’m going to subject you to a night out on the town, on me.”
“Really? That sounds great. The in-flight magazine I read on my way here had an article about a new restaurant in Georgetown that specializes in authentic Egyptian cuisine.”
“Sweet. Just this once, Danny-boy, whatever you say, goes. Just don’t get used to it. As soon as we get back to work, I’m sure I’ll be just as ornery and impossible as ever.”
“I wouldn’t have you any other way, Jack. Not any other way.”
The End
© November, 2002 The characters mentioned in this story are the property of Showtime and Gekko Film Corp. The Stargate, SG-I, the Goa'uld and all other characters who have appeared in the series STARGATE SG-1 together with the names, titles and backstory are the sole copyright property of MGM-UA Worldwide Television, Gekko Film Corp, Glassner/Wright Double Secret Productions and Stargate SG-I Prod. Ltd. Partnership. This fanfic is not intended as an infringement upon those rights and solely meant for entertainment. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the author.