A/N
Sam and Jack get volunteered for a very important mission
T rated for now - may change to M in future
all the usual guff applies - I don't own stargate and I don't own its characters
hope you enjoy :-)
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Major General George Hammond looked up at the quick tap on his door frame and smiled. "Come in Colonel."
Jack moved into the room and took a seat across from the General.
"Captain Carter not with you?" Hammond asked.
"She'll be here in a moment Sir," Jack replied. "Daniel had her bailed up over some doohickey they've both got a hard-on for." At the Generals raised eyebrows Jack sat up straighter in his chair. "I mean..."
The General smiled indulgently at his second in command. "I got the idea, thank you Colonel."
When Hammond went back to his paperwork Jack cleared his throat. "So there's nothing you wanna share while we wait Sir?"
"Not until the Captain gets here Colonel." He was just about to suggest the Colonel go rescue his own second in command from Doctor Jackson when the woman in question knocked on his door.
"I'm sorry I'm late Sir...Sirs," she corrected at Jacks pointed look.
Hammond smiled at her, indicating that she should take a seat next to Jack. "No need to apologise Captain," he assured her. "The Colonel told me what had you held up. I can appreciate how difficult it can be to get away from Doctor Jackson sometimes."
Jack and Sam shared a look and a small smile at the Generals words.
"So, I suppose you're both wondering why I've asked you here without the rest of SG-1?"
They shared another look, this one a little more serious. "It had crossed our minds Sir," Jack admitted.
"Well as it happens, the assignment that I've volunteered you both for has nothing to do with the Stargate program."
Jack shifted uncomfortably in his chair. He'd been 'volunteered' for many missions over the course of his career and none were any he would particularly care to repeat. "Sir?" he asked really not sure he wanted to know the answer.
George Hammond smiled at his friend. "Relax Colonel," he replied. "When I say I volunteered you both...you can decline if you want to, but this would count as your required flight time for the year."
Sam chanced a glance at her immediate CO and saw the deep frown on his face. "What's the mission Sir?" she asked the General.
"Every five years the Air Force and the Navy hold joint war games..."
Jack sat up straight in his chair again.
"It's supposed to be a learning exercise, but everyone knows it's basically a...if you'll excuse the language...a pissing contest between Air Force pilots and Navy Aviators to see who's the best..."
"And you volunteered us?" Sam asked, a small smile appearing on her face.
"I did Captain."
"Oh sweet!" Jack cried, as he fist pumped the the air, grinning from ear to ear. "No need to look any further Sir," he assured the General. "We're you're guys. Mission accepted."
"Yes," Sam agreed. "Thank you for thinking of us Sir."
Jack looked at her. "Come on Carter! Show some enthusiasm! This is gonna be frigging awesome!"
She watched her CO for a moment before she started to chuckle thinking he looked seriously adorable, huge grin, his hair sticking up all over the place...a real kid in a candy store...
"If you say so Sir," she replied with a smile.
"Where's your competitive spirit? We're gonna wipe the floor with those...well I can't think of a suitably derisive name right now...but when I do that's what they are..."
"Yes Sir."
"Okay you two," Hammond interrupted as he passed an envelope to each of them. "There's all the information you'll need. Your transport leaves Peterson tomorrow at oh-nine-hundred heading for Mayport Naval Station in Jacksonville Florida. Report to the base Commander at sixteen hundred."
"What about our aircraft Sir?" Jack asked, not even able to believe himself how excited he was at the prospect of actually getting in some serious flight time. Approved aerial acrobatics to boot.
"They'll be there waiting for you Colonel," he replied. "Go, get organised and read through those information packets. They'll tell you all you need to know. "
Jack practically bounced out of his chair and stood to attention snapping off a smart salute, huge grin still in place. "Yes Sir! Thank you Sir!"
Sam noticed the General looked more than a little startled before he regained his composure enough to reply. "You're welcome Colonel," he replied with a slight smile. "Don't let me down!"
Sam smiled as she gained her feet and saluted the General as well. "We won't Sir."
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Daniel rolled a small stone cylinder across Sam's workbench. "So tell me again why you're both so excited about this?"
She shrugged as she turned back to face him. "We're pilots Daniel," she replied with a smile.
"But you get to go through the Stargate, through space to other planets every day," he pointed out. "How could flying in a regular old plane compare with that?"
"The jets we'll be flying aren't just regular old planes Daniel," Jack butted in as he sauntered into Carters lab.
"It's like you being an archaeologist," Sam started to explain. "Even though you get to go through the gate to other planets, if you got to go on an important dig on Earth you'd still be excited about it right?"
Daniel thought about that. "Yeah I suppose I can see your point."
"Okay, good," Jack replied. "Now we've got that out of the way...Carter we have to go!"
Sam looked at her watch and frowned. "Sir, we've got plenty of time to get to the transport."
Jack pursed his lips. "I don't care," he replied after a moment. "Let's go before Daniel thinks of some 'Galaxy ending' important rock formation he just has to discuss with you right this instant and makes us late. Now move!"
Sam and Daniel shared a look before moving into each other's embrace.
"Take care Sam," he said as he pressed his face into the side of her neck.
"We'll be fine Daniel," she assured him as she pulled back from him.
Jack stood, an awkward witness to the easy intimacy his two scientists shared, then Daniel turned to him. "I'm good," he said holding up his hands as the archaeologist threatened him with a similar display of affection.
Daniel rolled his eyes at his friend. "Well you take care too," he said. "And take care of Sam."
Jack looked from Daniel to Carter. "You know, commanding officer or not, you would have kicked my ass if I just said that."
Sam smiled and ruffled her friends hair. "But that's just Daniel Sir," she explained.
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Lieutenant Billy 'The Kid' Grainger smiled and gave his buddy a nudge. "Here comes the transport from Peterson," he said. "You wanna go out and make our Air Force brothers feel welcome?"
"Check out the competition you mean," replied Lieutenant JG Paul 'Hally' Hanson.
The Kid grinned and walked out towards where the big plane would be letting off its cargo.
A small smile came to Paul Hanson's face as he stood next to his friend and watched the two Air Force officers come down the steps of the transport. "Looks like we're also making a sister feel welcome," he commented.
"Very welcome," Billy breathed as the hot blonde and the old guy came towards them.
"Looks like we've got a welcoming committee Carter," Jack mumbled.
"Looks like it Sir," Sam agreed.
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Jack wasn't too pleased to be leaving Carter in the care of the two hotshots who introduced themselves as being a part of the Navy team they'd be flying against, but he had an appointment with the base commander so he didn't have much choice.
Rear-Admiral James Hayes only kept Jack waiting a few minutes before coming out of his office and extending his hand to him. Jack shot to his feet and fought hard against the impulse to salute the superior officer, even if he was in a different service. Instead he grasped the man's hand and was slightly disappointed by the calibre of his handshake.
"Good to meet you Colonel O'Neill," the Admiral said as he ushered Jack into his office. "General Hammond has told me a great deal about you and your Captain." At Jacks wince he let out a hearty chuckle. "Believe me it was all good."
"Well I can believe that of Captain Carter Sir," Jack admitted. The Admiral was about to answer when someone came barging though the door and interrupted them.
"Sorry I'm late," the dark headed woman said without preamble. "But you didn't exactly give me much notice..." She trailed off when she noticed the uniformed Air Force officer standing off to the side. "Ah sorry Sir," she said to the Rear-Admiral coming to attention. "I didn't realise you had company."
"At ease Commander," Jim Hayes said to the woman. "Colonel O'Neill here is the reason I asked you to come over here this afternoon."
"Oh?" she asked glancing at him.
"You may have guessed that the Colonel is here for the war games, and I thought since you'll be leading opposing teams you should get acquainted."
She smiled slightly. "Good idea Sir." Then she turned to Jack and held out her hand. "Commander Eleanor Robinson Sir."
Jack had to think for a moment what her rank meant in context of his own. Obviously for her to use 'Sir' he outranked her, but he would have to ask Carter by how much. Navy aviator ranks were all screwy as far as he was concerned.
"Pleased to meet you commander," Jack replied with an easy smile as he took her hand, pleased to note she had a firmer handshake than her CO. "Colonel Jack O'Neill."
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A/N
Hope you enjoyed so far :-) As always - I'd love for you to let me know
a couple of things :
- I don't know if there is such as thing as these war games, I just made them up after watching Top Gun one night cause it seemed like a fun idea. And I couldn't stop thinking that I thought Jack would kick Mavericks ass in the air LOL!
- I hope I didn't make it sound like there was anything between Sam and Daniel cause there isn't. I love their 'science twins' dynamic and tend to write them as very close friends when they make appearances together