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Chapter 3
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Cardiff-Wales International Airport
Thompson shared a mischievous grin with the sergeant at this side, a look he was too disciplined to acknowledge beyond the amusement dancing in his eyes.
It wasn't often you got an assignment which could actually be classed as fun after all. Though, having the boss with you did put a dampener on exactly how fun it could be…
Then again, although the safeties were on, their rifles were loaded. That too put a bit of a dampener on the mood. But not much of one, they were soldiers after all.
The door finally opened and Thompson stifled a glare as the sergeant unceremoniously shoved through first. He would have to have a word with the twins; their threats of what would happen should he be injured had obviously been taken far too seriously.
Still, he couldn't blame the sergeant for that. Besides, he was wearing the markings of a corporal from intelligence and everyone knew that really meant an office weenie didn't they…
Stepping into the aircraft, he gave the hostess at the door a quick once over. The risk with this operation was of panic and the crew were the ones who would stifle it or control it. Her eyes had widened, but she had stepped back, and was trying to look reassuring towards the passengers.
Good, not likely to be a problem there then. Of course, he wasn't the one who would have to give the coverup to the press about this.
Now there was an idea… perhaps he should make the twins do it. Hah, petty revenge rules! Of course, that wouldn't work. They could be traced back to him and to the project, increasing the risk of a breech.
Best not, they were taking enough risks as it was. If only they had chosen not to fly commercial….
“O'Neill, Carter, Jackson , and” he quirked an eyebrow, his eyes knowing “ Murray , such a surprise to find you here” his voice indicated it was anything but a surprise “Would you be so kind as to come with us please?”
Truly O'Neill had an impressive glare… wasn't going to do him much good though. He had the bastards now…
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SGC
Hammond glanced up with an exasperated sigh from his reports as a knock came from the door, “Come In”
Steeping quickly through the door, Harriman snapped a lazy salute off before reporting,
“Sir, SG-1 has failed to check in, and we are receiving reports from Sky News that their plane into Cardiff was met by armed soldiers of the Royal Army.”
“Their flight I presume,”
“We don't have confirmation yet, but there was only one flight into Cardiff from anywhere in the US today.”
With a groan, Hammond leaned backwards in his seat, wishing for just a moment that had something stiff to hand, but no. Unfortunately he'd finished the last of the scotch yesterday and hadn't yet replaced the bottle.
Right now he could really do with it too…
In itself not confirmation of a breech, they could just have been watching the flights, but it was certainly suggestive. No matter, security was dealing with that possibility now and whilst in all honesty he did suspect there had been a breech, he also got the impression security wouldn't find anything conclusive.
An SF rushed in before Hammond could say anything, “Sir, A foot patrol just witnessed an armed soldier getting into a car and leaving the area, she appeared to have been watching the mountain entrance”
Hammond grimaced, just what he needed… “any ID?”
“Just that she appeared to be wearing an SAS uniform, and it appeared that she wanted to be seen, sir.”
Perfect. Such an elegant, though certainly arrogant way to send a message, it told them they were being watched, it told them the enemy… though perhaps he shouldn't think of them that away, knew who they were and where they were coming from.
It confirmed there had been a breech of some sort but it also told him the Brits didn't think he could do much about it.
“Well, now we know how they knew SG-1 were coming.” Harriman muttered.
“Quite.” Hammond replied, motioning them both out before reaching for the red phone.
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RAF St. Athan
O'Neill fidgeted, restless and annoyed. He had been escorted with his team to the very place he wanted to be, which he supposed he should be happy about, but he wasn't. It was supposed to be a simple observe and report back, getting picked up on arrival wasn't part of the deal.
Okay, so bonus, it was likely their lives were safe unlike when this happened off world, their careers on the other hand…
He grimaced as the Corporal who had met them off the plane strode into the room, only now he was wearing a Corporals uniform, now he was wearing an Admirals Uniform with an impressive four stars on the shoulder. Admiral of the Fleet… he had thought that rank had been discontinued.
Apparently not though.
“Maybe I should transfer to the Royal Navy if promotions are that quick” he noted sarcastically.
The reply was even more sarcastic and O'Neill found himself starting to like the guy already “Nobody promotes that quick, I was in disguise hum? You have heard of disguises right?”
Not that there was much he could say in response to that… so perhaps he should settle for glaring stonily at him. Right, lets go with that.
The admiral sat down in his chair, and turned to face SG-1, offering them drinks, “So let me guess, you've seen the Airheads , and want to know what's going on, hum?”
“Well if the Airheads are the little dinky toy spaceships you seem to have, yeah. Ours are bigger though.”
A tight grin flashed across the Admirals face and O'Neill groaned inwardly as he realised how a particularly dirty, i.e. English mind could take what he just said.
Bonus points for not making the obvious come back there though…
“Then we can start off with the lecture then hum?”
“Ah, we are aware of security…”
“Obviously not,” came the tetchy reply “or we would not have known about the StarGate Project until you told us”
O'Neill glanced across at Carter surprised, he had imagined many things happening once they got into the UK but practically an admission of breeching security on the most classified project the Americans had?
That was not on his expectation list. Then again, neither was being given an armed escort of the plane.
“Not the lecture I was on about though, and this one you can consider to come from the very top, it's about treatment of allies…”
At which point the Admirals voice started to drone, and O'Neill shrugged inwardly, taking the opportunity to access the room. They might have left something of interest out after all…
Then he blinked, did a ball of light just float into the room through the wall then float back out again. He shot Carter and Teal'c looks, not help there, but Daniel, good old Danny boy was giving him a very significant look. He'd seen it to.
Interesting….
He heard the Admiral raise his voice, almost missing the man raise his glance to the sky in supplication as he too spotted the ball. Definitely seemed more familiar with it though…
“…The only reason you give Russia anything is because they have you over a barrel, we have been a loyal ally for years, first to send troops to help you against Al- Qaeda and Saddam, hell we even leant you our AWACS birds on 9/11, but we are expected to keep quiet, expected to send troops, and not have any control over our own men, or hear reports from them once they reach the SGC?”
O'Neill blinked and then blinked again. He was definitely going to be having a word with security. If those idiots were letting exchange officers through, and boy was that the only thing he could think of that matched the Admirals description, then heads were going to roll, he would see to it personally.