Into the Fire:
In early January 2008, after a week’s leave back home in Sydney to spend New Year’s with her parents, her brother Ben, and his family, Cate was back at the SGC. It had been difficult for her not to reveal what she was doing; to the family, it was just another exchange posting. The problem was, all four MacGregors served their country: William, a Rear Admiral with the Navy and commander of the Naval Air Station at Nowra; her mother Anne, a Captain (medical) at the same base; and Ben, a Captain with the Army’s 4th Battalion, Commando regiment. At the airport, it felt strange: more so when the old man said to her, “Keep your head down, Kiddo, and don’t do anything stupid.” That wasn’t like him at all, and the look in his eye almost said, I know what you’re doing. Cate couldn’t shake the feeling. All the way back to the States, she had this weird sense that something was going on. After all, Dad’s security clearance was right up there. Could he know?
Settling in her assigned quarters, she finally let the memory fade. They told her she’d be waiting a day or two before being given her posting, so she spent some time in the gym and binged on some TV, old episodes of Star Trek, just for a laugh. If only they knew. The next day, she was called in to see the now Colonel Carter, who Cate already knew was a member of SG-1. That was something of a buzz for her, as by now she almost knew every mission of theirs by heart. Sam was forthright but friendly; sometimes a little too cheerful, smiling a lot when Cate thought it was inappropriate. The rumour was that many of the new pilots coming through were going to the Odyssey as replacements after its battle with the Ori. That was her expectation. Instead, Colonel Carter told her she was going first to the Alpha Site to work up a new squadron, with Cate in command: the 56th Attack Squadron. They were, in fact, a former U.S. Navy squadron, the ‘Buzzards.’ After no less than three weeks, they were to join nuship UNS (United Nations Ship) Invincible, the third ship of the new DD-100 Endurance class of destroyers. From what Cate had read, they were a formidable weapons platform, and the lead ship, Endurance, had already been blooded in battle.
The young woman stood before the Stargate, dark blue tote bags at her feet. She paced back and forth like a lioness in a cage. Above her in the control room, Master Sergeant Walter Harriman waited for the confirmation from the Alpha Site. Down in the gate room, where Cate paced, the puddle of the event horizon swirled within the inner ring of the Stargate, behind the iris.
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“She looks like she needs to be somewhere in a hurry,” Walter said to his companion without taking his eyes off his monitor.
“Oh, I can’t argue with you on that, Walter.” The dark-haired woman beside him replied. “I’ve tried to speak with her a couple of times…” Vala began. “…she seemed evasive. I think that’s the right word. I mean, it isn’t as if she’s hiding something.” She paused, looking for words in her head. At that point, Sam Carter walked in.
“She hasn’t left yet?” Sam asked.
“Er, ah, no, ma’am.” Walter replied. “We’re waiting for the Alpha Site’s confirmation.”
Sam dropped a file on the desk in front of Vala. “I heard what you said. It seems our new girl Cate does have a little secret.”
Vala opened the file and began to read.
Down in the Gate Room, Cate’s face took on a slight scowl. There was something going on in her mind; a darkness seemed to overcome her. An interview in the fourth year of her service with the Air Force came back to her. Someone from an agency called ASIS had wanted Cate to work for them, assuring her she’d retain both her rank and status in the Air Force. The man was very convincing, saying she’d be serving her country far more than she could imagine. That was three years of her life she could never get back. Yes, she’d learned new skills, becoming highly proficient in several forms of martial arts and fluent in several languages. But towards the end of those three years, she became entangled in a botched joint mission with the CIA. Cate was to infiltrate North Korea as a Russian Air Force pilot, there to train North Korean pilots, and obtain files on several double agents the CIA and ASIS desperately wanted. The trouble was, her CIA contact was a double agent herself. Cate spent three months in a North Korean prison before she managed to escape. Three months of torture; she had the whip scars on her back as a token of North Korea’s goodwill.
Her mind cleared as she spun around to face the glass above and the three faces looking down on her. “Are we there yet?” she demanded to know.
Vala pushed the file aside, her brow furrowed. “So, she’s a spy then? Is that good or bad? Should we be worried?”
Sam paused; her expression unreadable as she leaned on the console. Walter glanced up from his monitor, hesitation in his voice as he added, “Colonel, do you think she’s a security risk?”
The question hung in the air for a moment, heavy with unspoken concerns. Sam didn’t answer immediately, her eyes drifting to the gate room below where Cate stood, pacing with restless energy. Finally, Sam straightened and spoke with quiet conviction.
“No, she’s not a security risk.” She glanced again at Cate, a faint smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. “But give her a few years… and she’s going to be one hell of an SG team leader.”
“Ma’am, we have confirmation,” Walter interrupted.
“Open the iris, Walter,” Sam told him, then looked down at Vala. “Was. For our sake, let’s hope that is all behind her now.”