I’m not GI Jane:
The Decision
The 0800 briefing from Captain Hudson was concise but left an air of tension in the room. "Ladies and gentlemen," he began, standing at the head of the table with a tablet in hand. "We’ve lost contact with the Gamma Site. Three days and no response. General Carter has ordered a recon mission. No boots on the ground until we’ve confirmed the area is secure."
"What’s the situation, sir?" Cate asked, leaning forward. Her tone was professional, but her expression betrayed concern.
"The last MALP transmission showed nothing unusual near the Stargate," Hudson replied. "But it’s limited in scope. The Gamma Site’s importance to both Stargate Command and the IOA cannot be overstated. We’re sending four F-302s from VFA-56 to sweep a twenty-mile radius. Top cover will be provided by VAQ-131. If the area checks out, we’ll deploy a ground combat team via A/C-402B. Any questions?"
Commander Helen McFearson, the Air Wing CAG, nodded toward Cate. "Squadron leader, your pilots ready for this?"
"Absolutely, ma’am," Cate replied with quiet confidence. "We’ll sweep it clean."
Hudson dismissed the group with a nod. "Brief your teams. We’re wheels up in four hours. Dismissed."
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Back at the squadron’s ready room, Cate pulled her team together.
"All right, listen up," she said, pulling up a holographic map of P8C-66R. "Our mission is straightforward: a grid sweep around the Gamma Site. Stay sharp. We’re looking for anything unusual—scorch marks, debris, you name it. Angel, Spock, you’ll cover the southern grid. Batman, Dusty, you’ve got the north."
"And you, boss?" Dusty asked, his tone light but his eyes focused.
"I’ll be on overwatch," Cate said. "Any questions?"
"What’s the plan if we spot trouble?" Angel asked, her voice steady despite the tension.
"Call it in and break off," Cate replied. "We’re recon, not combat. Clear?"
A chorus of "Yes, ma’am" followed. Cate allowed herself a small smile. "Good. Let’s suit up."
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As the Invincible approached P8C-66R, the pilots climbed into their cockpits. The comms buzzed with chatter as the squadron ran through preflight checks.
"Spock, your landing gear’s hanging," Batman teased. "Or is that just your style?"
"Don’t be jealous of my flair," Spock retorted. "Ready on your mark, Lead."
Cate’s voice cut through the banter. "Focus up, team. Launch in thirty."
The countdown ticked away, and one by one, the 302s shot out of the hangar, streaking toward the planet below. The HUDs lit up as the fighters entered their grid patterns.
"Angel here, nothing on the southern pass," her calm voice reported.
"North is clear," Batman added. "Just a lot of empty sand."
"Hold up," Spock interjected. "I’ve got something. Flattened area near the main bunker. Looks like… landing gear impressions. Al’kesh, maybe?"
Cate frowned, studying the data. "Copy that. Dusty, get a closer scan. Everyone else, hold position."
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With the area declared secure, the ground teams deployed. Captain Hudson addressed the marines over comms. "Remember your training. We’re looking for survivors, signs of a struggle, or anything out of place."
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"Understood, sir," Oberstabsfeldwebel Karl Brechman replied. "Team, fan out. Standard search pattern."
Hours passed, the silence on the comms stretching thin. Finally, Brechman’s voice crackled through. "Captain, the facility is… empty. No personnel, no equipment. Just traces of a firefight. No bodies."
"Go over it again," Hudson ordered, his tone grim. "Be thorough."
After another hour, one marine’s voice broke the tension. "Found something. A torn leather cuff. Looks Lucian Alliance."
Back aboard the Invincible, Cate and Elle examined the fragment.
"Lucian Alliance," Elle muttered, tracing the jagged edge. "This just got a lot more complicated."
Hudson’s voice interrupted. "We’ve contacted the SGC. General Carter has intel from Lucian rebels. They suspect the Alliance took the scientists for their particle beam weapon research."
Cate’s jaw tightened. "And the destination?"
"PH6-88J," Hudson said. "Planet’s back under Alliance control. Expect resistance."
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The Invincible emerged from hyperspace, and the alarms sounded immediately. "Unidentified vessel, closing fast!" the tactical officer shouted.
"Battle stations!" Hudson barked.
The enemy ship loomed into view, its dark grey plating and sleek lines an ominous sight. Fighters poured from its hangars, engaging the Invincible’s air wing.
"Falcon, Scotty, keep them off our six!" Cate commanded, weaving through a barrage of enemy fire.
"Easier said than done, boss!" Scotty replied, his fighter narrowly avoiding a missile.
The bridge shook as the Invincible took a direct hit. Hudson was thrown from his station, blood streaking his face. Elle, who had been overseeing operations in the hangar, rushed toward the bridge, navigating the damaged corridors. Smoke and chaos filled the air as she passed injured crew being tended to by medics.
The explosive reverberations were felt throughout the ship. The Mighty ‘I’ shook it off, but she had been hurt. A message was passed down to the hangar bay to McFearson, it wasn’t what she wanted to hear. When Elle arrived at the bridge, she took in the scene—sparks flying from consoles, Hudson barely conscious. Her voice cut through the chaos. "Medical team to the bridge, now!"
Minutes later, she addressed the senior staff. "I’m assuming command.” That was logical, apart from Lieutenant Colonel Jeffries, the Marines commander, Elle was the next ranked officer on the ship. She pipped her coms. “Cate, you’re now CAG. Hold the line."
Cate’s reply crackled over comms. "Understood. Switching priorities."
There were a few stragglers. The Buzzards made short work of a few before half a dozen or so, left the combat area, headed for who knew where. An excited voice was heard in every pilot’s headset. “I got two, two!” That was Bianchi, the Squadron’s ‘Nugget’.
Cate was still in the mood for retribution, she would have to save it for later. The score reflected her training of the Squadron. Twenty-seven confirmed kills, to just three of their own damaged. Every pilot of 56 and 131 had accounted for at least one bandit, Kalowski again leading the score with four. To Cate’s credit, she was going to paint another kill silhouette under her cockpit and one shared. “Good job boys and girls. Nugget, we’ll have Cookie make pizza just for you.” She quipped. “Let’s go home kids.”
The battle raged for an hour, the Invincible trading blow for blow. Finally, the enemy ship’s systems faltered. "That was the last shot ma’am, sensors indicate her main power module has shut down." the tactical officer reported.
Elle exhaled, then turned to Cate, who by now was on the bridge, submitting her report. "Prepare boarding teams. We need answers."
Cate hesitated. "Are you addressing me, Commander? I’m a pilot, not a soldier."
"Your file says otherwise," Elle countered. "We need you."
“It says spook, spy, and all-round idiot. This isn’t my thing, with all due respect, ma’am.” Cate dug her heels in. Too many times, she had gone out with all good intentions, and too many times bad intelligence had let her down.
Elle took the younger woman aside, her tone softening. “Listen, MacGregor, we have 130 people missing. Yes, the ship has any number of leaders who could take this on. I read your file three times over when you joined us.” She drew a breath. “You had a success rate of ninety-two percent. No one blames you for the mistakes made on the other eight percent.”
Cate’s eyes narrowed. “It’s not about blame, Elle. It’s about trust. I trust my team in the air. On the ground, it’s different.”
Elle’s expression softened further. “I get it, Cate. But right now, we need someone who can think on their feet, someone who can adapt. That’s you. I’m not asking you to be perfect. I’m asking you to lead.”
Cate looked away, the weight of the decision pressing down on her. Finally, she nodded. “Alright, Elle. I’ll do it. But you’d better have my back out there.”
Elle smiled, relief washing over her face. “Always, Cate. Always.”
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Cate took a deep breath, steeling herself for what was to come. She headed to the hangar bay, where the combat teams were assembling. The atmosphere was charged with anticipation and determination.
"Listen up!" Cate called out, her voice carrying over the noise. "We’re heading into a hot zone. Stay sharp and watch each other’s backs. Captain Thompson," she nodded to the British Royal Marine, "you’ll be my second in command."
Captain Thompson, a tall, imposing figure with a calm demeanour, stepped forward. "Understood, Squadron Leader."
Cate turned to the two A/C-402B pilots. "Lieutenants, we need a clean insertion. Find us a secure spot on the top decking behind the bridge. We’ll clamp onto the hull and cut our way in."
"Roger that, ma’am," one of the pilots replied, giving a crisp salute.
The teams mounted up, forty marines in total, a mixture of nationalities including a few Aussie commandos. The tension was palpable as the 402s lifted off, heading towards the Alliance ship.
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The 402s approached the enemy vessel, scanning for an appropriate entry point. "There," the pilot pointed out, "top decking behind the bridge. Looks like our best bet."
"Copy that," Cate replied. "Prepare to clamp onto the hull."
The 402s settled down, clamping onto the hull with a solid thud. The circular hatch in the rear cargo floor created a seal, and plasma torches began cutting through the metal.
"Ready, team?" Cate asked, her voice steady despite the adrenaline coursing through her veins.
"Ready!" came the unified response.
The hatch gave way, and the boarding teams dropped down into the enemy ship. They were met with immediate resistance, plasma bolts flying. Two marines fell within the first few minutes, their losses a heavy blow to the team’s morale.
"Push forward!" Cate shouted, her voice cutting through the chaos. "We’re almost there!"
The battle was fierce, with the marines fighting desperately to secure the ship. After 35 gruelling minutes, the ship was finally subdued. Cate surveyed the damage, her face grim. "Seven dead. Was it worth it?"
Engineers who had accompanied the team declared the ship unsalvageable. "We need to plant charges," one of them said.
Cate nodded, her mind already on the next steps. "Set the charges. We’ve got prisoners and intel to secure."
With twenty-seven prisoners, including the ship’s executive officer, and valuable intel recovered, the teams returned to the Invincible. Cate watched the destruction of the Alliance ship through a viewport on her way to the bridge. The sight of the explosion brought back memories of a terrible mission a few years ago when she was with ASIS, a mission where there were unnecessary casualties.
She asked herself, "Is this the future? More death and destruction?"
The weight of leadership pressed heavily on her shoulders, but she resolved to see this through—no matter the cost.