The Pentagon
Earth
Milky Way Galaxy
Since the final battle against the Lucian Alliance, a much needed calm had spread throughout the Pentagon, and across Earth. For so long, those within the Pentagon, and other military planning centers across Earth, had focused on the Lucian Alliance. Now that the Alliance was no more, military planners and personnel finally had a chance to catch their breath. That was not to say all personnel greeted this newfound period of peace with open arms. Throughout the history of the Stargate Program, enemies had been put down, only for a new enemy to arise.
For General Jack O'Neill, this period of peace was an unsettling one. Since the loss of Homer and Laira, General O'Neill had devoted his every waking moment to avenging their deaths. Jack's entire time as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs had been devoted to eradication of the Lucian Alliance. Now that the enemy lay slain, Jack found himself without an external element to focus upon. Well aware of intelligence gathered during Major Bobby Carlyle's time undercover, General O'Neill shifted his full attention to whatever failsafe plan Kefflin had put in place.
Try as he might, General O'Neill had been unable to convince politicians of the potential threat that might still exist. A peace dividend of sorts guaranteed few were willing to focus on a threat that might not exist at all. To Jack, this was not only shortsighted, but a dangerous way of thinking. Realizing this was his fight alone, General O'Neill, clinging to the task that made his loss bearable, devoted himself to locating the unknown failsafe.
Redoubling his efforts, Jack O'Neill committed himself to finding and foiling whatever plot Kefflin had left in his wake. Lacking authorization, he called in favors across all branches of service. Pouring over reams of long range sensor data, he scoured whole sections of the galaxy for any sign of ship movement. At Jack's direction, the subspace communications intercept station on Tartarus monitored communications galaxy wide. Despite Jack's efforts, no signs of an impending attack were found. Refusing to admit that the driving focus that had kept him going was gone, Jack remained firmly committed to his task, if only to avoid the emptiness of his home.
General O'Neill's efforts did not go unnoticed. Unlike Chairmen past, the Pentagon staffers were fond of O'Neill. In him, they saw one of their own. Unlike politically connected Chairmen of the past, O'Neill was an officer with a reputation earned through action. His accomplishments in the field were the stuff of legend to junior officers, and enlisted alike. Feeling a kinship with General O'Neill, these Pentagon staffers worried for him. This worry, they took to the one man O'Neill would listen to; Secretary of Defense Hank Landry.
Fearing what might happen to O'Neill's career, none of these worries were committed to paper. To do so might not only destroy the General's career, but those of concerned staffers. Instead, they made use of Secretary Landry's longstanding though seldom used open door policy. As a career Air Force officer, Landry's open door policy had served him, and those under his command well. Speaking with Landry in his office, several junior officers laid out their concerns. Hearing these, Landry assured each that he would be discreet when discussing this with O'Neill, and thanked them for bringing the matter to his attention.
Sitting in his office, Secretary Landry poured over Jack's movement patterns inside the Pentagon. Based on the data he saw before him, Jack had not left the Pentagon in over a week. While Landry understood why Jack was pouring his heart into his task, that did not make it healthy. Something had to be done, and done soon. Rising from his desk, Landry exited his office, and began the walk towards the office of the Chairman.
During his walk through the long halls of the Pentagon, Landry tuned out his surroundings, and those he encountered along the way. It was with a heavy heart that he confronted his longtime friend. Honestly, Landry understood what Jack was going through, and why he chose to devote himself to the distraction his duties offered. Were Landry in Jack's position, he might do the very same thing. Still, as a friend, Landry knew he had to intercede, before Jack walked himself to his own destruction.
Entering the outer area of the Chairman's E-Ring office, Landry took note that Jack's staff had already left for the day. It was very likely that Jack had excused them, to prevent interruption of his efforts. Continuing on, to the door entering Jack's office, Landry didn't knock, but instead opened the door quietly. Sitting behind his desk, with eyes closed as he rubbed his temples, was General Jack O'Neill. To get Jack's attention, Landry closed the door. Instantly, Jack opened his eyes, and watched as Landry took a seat in front of his desk.
"You look like hell." Landry offered.
"I've had a long day." Jack replied.
"A long day, or a long week?" Landry asked pointedly.
"Does it matter?" Jack questioned.
"We will circle back to that. You sent your staff home I'm guessing. Why are you still here?" Landry inquired.
"Before you walked in, I was going over after action reports from our vessels that took part in the battle at Possara. After reading these, I had a few questions about the choice of tactics. Why were swarming tactics used, knowing this would lead to losses on our side? Standoff tactics were the smart play here, and would have prevented the losses we endured. Everyone I've spoken with has claimed the choice in tactics was out of their hands, and out of the hands of commanders on scene. Care to fill me in on what is going on?" Jack asked acidly.
"The choice in tactics came from United Earth Alliance headquarters in Belgium. This was out of our hands." Landry deferred.
"You and I both know the UEA wouldn't purposefully select tactics sure to incur losses for our forces. That means these orders may have come from UEA headquarters, but its certain they didn't originate there." Jack argued.
"I'm going to level with you, off the record. What I'm about to tell you never gets repeated. The orders were political. The coming government is serious about defense, and saw this as an opportunity to justify a greatly enlarged fleet. Several of us argued against this, but it was pointed out that our argument would not be heard. Change cannot be brought from the outside. If we want change, we have to work from within the system." Landry pointed out.
"So this was politics? Is that what we are supposed to tell the families of those who died? How do you explain to a child that their mother or father won't be coming home, because some politician somewhere made a decision? Had I known this before the battle, I would have resigned!" Jack spat i disgust.
"Yes, you would have resigned. Would that have changed a thing? No! Should you resign now to show your displeasure? No! Look Jack, I spoke with the President yesterday, and he made it clear that the preference of the coming High Council is for you and I to assume a leadership role for Earth's newly joint military. We can either accept that position, bring change, and shape the military Earth needs, or we can retire to drown our sorrows in a bottle. Whats it going to be?" Landry demanded.
"New government, but same old politics. Thats just beautiful." Jack snarled.
"I didn't walk all the way to your office to argue Jack. Its been brought to my attention that you haven't left the Pentagon since the battle of Possara. People noticed, and are worried about you. Why are you not going home?" Landry asked in a softer tone.
"I have work to do. Intelligence points to a threat, and I am working around the clock to find that threat." Jack objected.
"I know that Jack, but the question stands. Why are you not going home?" Landry asked again.
"Hank, I can't bring myself to go home. Do you know what its like to come home to an empty house, that should have been filled with your family? Do you?" Jack asked sorrowfully.
"You know I do." Landry countered.
"As long as I'm here, I can focus. At home, I can't do that. All I do there is mourn their loss." Jack explained painfully.
"Ok Jack, I'm going to level with you. I know it hurts, but it can't be changed. If you insist on remaining at the Pentagon for days on end, I'm going to be forced to relieve you of duty. If I relieve you of duty, you are going to find yourself stuck in that house. So, let's make a deal. Go home now, and stay there for a day or two. Then, you can come back, and I will look the other way when it comes to your schedule, so long as you periodically leave the Pentagon. Argue with me, and I will send you to tour allied worlds, starting with Dakara. Understood?" Landry questioned.
"Fine, you win. Give me a few minutes to put everything away, and I'll head home." Jack responded.
"Oh no, I'm not falling for that. Leave this here." Landry instructed.
"Give me a minute to find my driver, and I'll go." Jack countered.
"I know that trick too." Landry smirked.
Touching his right hand to his left sleeve, Secretary Landry activated an unseen device. From his sleeve, a small holographic screen appeared. On this screen was a menu. Touching the screen several times, as he navigated the menu, Landry finally pulled up the function he sought.
"Odyssey, this is Secretary Landry. I need a point to point beam of General O'Neill, from his office to his quarters. If he tries to leave after arrival, beam him back to his quarters. Keep this up until he gets the message." Landry ordered.
"Roger, beaming now." A disembodied voice replied.
"Enjoy your time off Jack." Landry said.
Seconds later, the visual and auditory signature of an Asgard transport beam filled O'Neill's office. Jack, too tired to admit it, knew he had been deftly outmaneuvered by the master. Resigned to that fact, O'Neill wordlessly watched as he was beamed away. From his vantage point, Secretary Landry watched with regret as his longtime friend was transported away.
Within O'Neill's quarters, on the grounds of Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, General Jack O'Neill returned to material form. Taking in his surroundings, he saw he had been beamed into his study. Standing at the doorway of the study was the General's valet. This young enlisted airman was tasked with watching over the General, and ensuring the continued good running of O'Neill's household.
"Good evening sir. Secretary Landry informed me to expect your arrival a few moments ago. Can I arrange dinner for you?" The valet asked.
"No, thank you. Look, its Friday night, and I would love some privacy. How about your grab those tickets for the Kennedy Center of mine, and take your wife out for some culture? In fact, take the weekend off, and I'll see you Monday." Jack instructed.
Moving behind the desk in his study, Jack took a seat in the comfortable leather wingback chair. Removing his tie, he made an attempt to get comfortable. Closing his eyes for a moment, Jack's attempt to find comfort was interrupted by the audible chime of an incoming video communication. Rubbing his eyes, Jack touched a button on his desk, resulting in a large holographic display appearing in the air before him. For five-seconds, Jack watched as both sending and receiving stations encryption aligned. Then, the image of Brigadier General Samantha Carter, and Doctor Daniel Jackson appeared.
"Good evening General." Carter began.
"Hi Jack." Daniel said in welcome.
"Sam, Daniel, to what do I owe the honor?" Jack asked.
"We don't hear from you as often as we would like, so we thought we would check in to see how you are doing." Daniel offered.
"Your paperwork came across my desk earlier today. I signed off my endorsement, and forwarded it along. Colonel Mitchell should be departing with Hermes tonight, to find Borealis a safe operating location. This time next month, you and your crew will be on their way to another galaxy, filled with mystery." Jack said, while rolling his eyes.
"The personnel transferring from Borealis to Destiny depart the SGC tonight." Sam added.
"A month works well actually. That gives me time to finish a project I'm working on with a visitor from Alba Longa. " Daniel mused.
"What kind of project?" O'Neill inquired.
"I'm not really sure exactly, but I think it might be important. I'll know more once we're in Rome." Daniel offered.
"When we are in Rome." Carter interjected quickly, with nervous tension.
Leaning back in his seat, Jack took in the sight of both his longtime friends. As he watched, both traded nervous glances. One thing Jack had learned, over many years serving beside these two, was that neither could conceal what was on their minds. In a way, Jack almost enjoyed the discomfort that was clear on their faces.
"Both of you, do yourselves a favor, and never become professional poker players. I can see it on your faces, so tell me what it might be." Jack suggested.
On the faces of both Sam and Daniel, shock from Jack's statement was clear. Trading nervous glances, both shrugged their shoulders. Finally, Carter took it upon herself to speak.
"Daniel and I are together. We didn't expect it to happen, but it did happen. Daniel and I have debated how to tell you for the last week." Sam blurted.
"And you thought I would object?" Jack asked cautiously.
"That isn't it at all Jack. I don't know how to say this with the respect it deserves, but after what you went through with your son, we didn't feel right being happy while you are hurting." Daniel explained with sorrowful regret.
"Look, I appreciate the sentiment, I truly do. You are two of my closest friends. What I've learned, is to embrace what you have, while you can. I want you both to be happy, and never put my feelings before your own. We should get together soon for dinner. I need to go, but congratulations to you both." Jack said in farewell, before Sam or Daniel could interject.
Ending the transmission, Jack leaned forward with his head in his hands. Truthfully, he was happy for both his dear friends, though this development was surprising. He remembered a time, what felt like a lifetime ago, when he had believed a relationship with Carter had been possible. The cost, his career, had been a price he would have gladly paid. In truth, had he moved forward with the relationship both desired, it would have cost Carter her career, and that was a price Jack had been unwilling to let her pay. So, he had let go of what he had wanted, not for himself, but for her. This action was yet another in a long line of truly selfless acts by O'Neill. Sometimes, if you love someone, you are forced to let them go, and that is exactly what Jack had done. Thankfully, she had found a relationship with someone Jack knew to be worthy of her. Daniel was a good man, and one he knew would stand at Carter's side, no matter the cost.
Rising from his seat, Jack got to his feet. Walking slowly across the room, the General made his way to the bar in the far corner of his study. Foregoing ice, Jack poured himself a bourbon neat. Bringing the glass to his mouth, he drank deeply. The drink would help him get some much needed sleep. Tossing his uniform jacket on a chair sitting in front of the desk, Jack grabbed his drink, and exited the study. Thoughts of watching Sports Center crossed his mind, but were interrupted by the sound of a child's laughter upstairs.
Hearing this laughter did not surprise Jack in the least. It wasn't that he thought a child was present in his quarters, so much as he knew how long he had gone without sleep. This was another sign that he had gone far too long without rest. Still, he put thoughts of Sports Center aside, and made his way upstairs. As he trudged wearily up the stairs, Jack drank deeply once again, finishing his bourbon.
Standing at the top of the stairs, O'Neill looked down the hall. A flurry of emotions and thoughts ran through him. He hadn't dedicated his every waking moment to duties inside the Pentagon out of a sense of duty, so much as he had committed his every waking hour to avoiding this house. In this house, he had come to see nothing but loss. This house, no matter how comfortable, stood as evidence of a life spent alone. Hearing a child's laughter once more, Jack set his bourbon glass down, and began the slow walk to what would have been his son's room.
Coming to a closed door, Jack leaned forward, resting his forehead on the door itself. Feeling the smooth wooden surface of the door on his forehead, Jack gathered his thoughts. Gathering his thoughts was a challenge, due to his current level of exhaustion. Logically, Jack knew his mind was playing tricks on him, but still he pressed on. No matter how much he hoped, he knew nothing awaited him on the other side of this door. That knowledge broke Jack's heart.
Placing his hand on the polished brass doorknob, Jack took a moment to feel the cool metal's touch. Slowly, he turned the knob, while pushing the door open. With his eyes locked on the lush carpet upon which he stood, Jack fought the urge to look into the room. To do so was to confirm that he was now, and forever would be alone. A strong man, it took all Jack's considerable willpower to hold back tears of sorrow. Perhaps he would be better off simply walking away, and seeking out another drink. No, he had already come too far.
Raising his eyes, Jack quickly noticed the lamp was on. That was strange. Maybe his valet had left the lamp on? What Jack saw next should have shocked him, but did not. There, seated on the bed in the center of the room, was a young boy. Locking eyes with the boy, Jack was wordless for a moment. Jack watched as the vision of the young boy smiled lovingly. Refusing to acknowledge this, Jack remained at the door. After a moments passing, Jack spoke.
"Sleep depravation is a tricky thing. As a much younger man, I learned how the mind becomes your worst enemy when exhausted. Logically, I know you are nothing more than an exhaustion induced hallucination. Talking to you is just talking to myself. This hallucination is a far better thing than the nightmares I have had for months though, so I'll play along for now." Jack said aloud.
"This isn't a hallucination. Come, sit down with me." The boy requested.
Playing along, Jack stepped into the room. On the bed, Jack slowly sat beside the boy. Believing he was talking to his own subconscious, Jack found himself wondering what kind of conversationalist he really was.
"You look tired." The boy said.
"I am tired. I'm tired of dedicating myself to a thankless task. I'm tired of sacrificing everything for this world. I'm tired of knowing that I will spend my life alone, without a family to love." Jack replied sadly.
"You may think you have been alone, but you were not. We have watched over you every step of the way." The boy said simply.
"He speaks the truth Jack. We have been at your side each and every day." A woman's voice said from the door.
Turning his gaze away from the boy, Jack brought his full focus on the source of the second voice. What Jack saw shook him to his core. There, standing in the doorway, was Laira. On her face was a soft smile. That smile was one Jack had seen many times during his time on Edora. As much as Jack wanted to run to her, and hold her in his arms, he did not. He knew she was part of this extremely realistic hallucination.
Jack watched, as she crossed the gulf between them. Standing before him, she slowly brought her hand to his face. Cupping his face in her soft warm hand, Laira looked upon Jack with a tender and loving expression. Feeling the warmth of her hand, Jack began to believe this hallucination was not a hallucination at all. Moving closer, she wrapped her arms around the seated man, holding him close.
Breaking free, Jack turned to the boy beside him. Looking at the boy, Jack wanted so much to know this was real. Not knowing was the worst torment. Casting aside his doubts, if only for a moment, Jack hugged the boy close.
"Please tell me this is real?" Jack asked, looking towards the ceiling with tears in his eyes.
From elsewhere in the room, the voice of Skaara rang out.
"This is real O'Neill. I just learned of this myself. This is real. Your family lives." Skaara announced.
"How?" Jack asked of Laira.
"Someone who believes in your made our survival possible." Laira answered.
Skaara watched for a moment, as O'Neill, Laira, and Homer held one another. The sight was touching, as it showed the true depth of love a family can have. Taking his leave, Skaara left to give the family their time alone. Jack, in tears, held his family tightly.
"I thought you were dead. I did such horrible things to punish those who I thought had killed you. I'm so sorry." Jack cried.
"You did what you felt you must. We are here now. That is what matters. You have your family Jack. Hold on to that." Laira said soothingly.
"I love you father." Homer added.
As a brave man, Jack O'Neill had faced many challenges over a lifetime. The time following the loss of Laira and Homer had been crucible like no other. Now, sitting here, he held his family in his arms. For the first time in many years, Jack felt complete; he felt whole. Finally, this house could