New Gen Fic: S is for Scrutiny
Written for fignewton 's Bra'tac (and Jaffa) Alphabet Soup.
Gen and G
An episode tag to season two's Serpent's Lair.
~::~
The debriefing over, they stood across from one another in the empty room, two old warriors engaged in a silent battle.
Bra'tac sat. Then General Hammond sat. Neither spoke.
Bra'tac glanced at the men standing in the corners of the room.
“They seek to do you honor, Master Bra'tac,” Hammond assured him.
“And to make sure I do not cause dishonor,” Bra'tac added with a smile.
“And that,” Hammond agreed, smiling as well.
“Hammond of Texas, you are the leader of this planet?”
“No, I'm only the leader of this facility, Stargate Command. The leader of my country is the President, and our planet has many countries with many leaders.”
“I see. But you command O'Neill?”
“I do.”
“You also command the woman, and the man with the round glass circles?”
“I do. Captain Carter and Doctor Jackson are invaluable to the program. They, Colonel O'Neill, and Teal'c make up SG-1, our flagship team.”
Bra'tac considered this and nodded. “You are a leader of good men.”
“Yes,” Hammond said simply. “The men and women under my command are the best our country has to offer.”
“And your title, Hammond of Texas, it is to show respect?”
“It mostly shows that Colonel O'Neill has a rather... unusual sense of humor.” Bra'tac's smile broadened at that. “My title is General. It's an honorific placed in front of my name to show my rank. It identifies my place in the hierarchy of this facility.”
“Ah, yes. O'Neill. He is a difficult man to lead. I saw this,” Bra'tac said. “He is not good at following orders.”
“True,” Hammond said. “But he's a good man, and a good leader in his own right.
“This I also saw. If Teal'c follows him, he must be a man who earns the respect of others-yet O'Neill does not give his respect easily.”
“Colonel O'Neill gives respect where it's due. Occasionally, though, he has trouble with authority figures, especially if that authority figure is... not worth of respect. Sadly, such people exist on all planets.”
"Indeed," Bra'tac said. “You are also Teal'c's leader, as I once was.”
“I am. Although he reports directly to Colonel O'Neill, I am his commanding officer.”
“It is a difficult job to be a leader of men.” Bra'tac stood and walked to the window. He stared at Stargate for several minutes before he turned. “I entrust Teal'c now to your care--and your command.”
General Hammond came to stand by Bra'tac. “Master Bra'tac, I'll do my best. But I'm a far cry from a man who's been training Jaffa warriors for longer than I've been alive. Teal'c had a good teacher.”
“I have taught him all I know. O'Neill said you were just a human, a bald man...” Bra'tac fanned his hand over his head “...from Texas, and that he served you.”
“That's an accurate description, Master Bra'tac. I do what I can-but I'm only one man.”
“I am Jaffa, Hammond of Texas, but I am just one Jaffa who does what he can-although I do not let my pupils learn of this until after their training is complete. And I am also bald.” His grin lit up his face. “Is it possible we old men are bald for the same reason?”
Hammond laughed. “I had a full head of hair when I started this job.”
“I, too.” They stood in companionable silence, looking through the glass.
Bra'tac turned and placed a hand on Hammond's shoulder. “We will battle the Goa'uld together, your warriors and mine, and perhaps someday we will win this fight.”
“I hope so,” Hammond said. “They are an enemy unlike any we, on this planet, have faced before, and we can use all the help we can get.”
“Our numbers on Chulak are small, but growing, and this great victory will aid our cause. More Jaffa will know that Apothis was a false god who enslaved his people. And I believe those who oppose the armies of Apothis must stand together. Is this acceptable to you, Hammond of Texas?”
“It is, Master Bra'tac.” He reached out to shake Bra'tac's hand, but Bra'tac pulled him in as he had done Teal'c, and grabbed his elbow in a warrior's embrace.
“I must go,” Bra'tac said as he released Hammond, “but when I return, I will provide you what information I can.”
“I look forward to it,” Hammond said. “We'll send word through Teal'c if we have information. We'll also provide you with a device and a code to get through the iris.”
“This is good.”
“General Hammond?” An excited 'gate technician stood at the door. “Sorry to interrupt, sir, but SG-1 would like you to know there's a party in the commissary, and that you and Master Bra'tac are invited.”
“Can you join us, Master Bra'tac? There's certainly cause for celebration.”
“I regret that I cannot. They have earned their victory, but tell O'Neill he is still hasshak.”
“Do I want to know what that means?”
“No.”
“I didn't think so.”
They looked at one another, weighing, judging, finding common ground and uncommon values. Neither found the other wanting.
Bra'tac took his staff weapon from the guard at the door. “Teal'c chose well. We will meet again, Hammond of Texas,” he said as he bowed his head.
“It was an honor to meet you, Master Bra'tac.
They separated then, each to lead his people; two old warriors now friends, prepared for the next battle.
~::~