"Drop it, Carter." Jack thumped down the ramp, his jaw stonily set.

Sam followed him through, equally as stubborn, however there was pain laced in her tone. "But, sir..."

"Nuh uh. Don't say it." The colonel's order came out as more of a plea. "Just...don't."

Teal'c grimly brought up the rear, giving a nod at Sergeant Harriman, letting him know he was the last coming through. The wormhole disengaged behind him. Silently he watched the exchange of his teammates, unable to give his opinion, as he had not witnessed the event they were disputing. But as much as his soul wanted to side with O'Neill, though that scenario was almost as bad as Major Carter's, he had the sinking feeling that Major Carter was correct. He also knew why O'Neill didn't want to admit it.

"Carter, they are not KIA, they are MIA." Jack yanked his P-90 strap from around his neck and fixed Sam with a hard glare. "Both of them. Do you hear me, Major?"

For a moment the blonde glared back, then relented with a curt nod. "Yes, sir."

"Colonel." General Hammond strode into the 'gate room, stepping aside for two teams dressed in full combat gear to follow him in. He barely noticed the 'gate already spinning out the coordinates for the Alpha site, his focus was solely on his primary team and the fact that they were two members short. "Where's Doctor and Mrs Jackson?"

"Casper was targeted by a hocus pocus attack of some kind," Jack reported. "She was out for the count. Daniel was protecting her, trying to get her to a defendable position, when out of nowhere a teltak de-cloaked and both of them were ringed aboard."

Hammond caught the emphasis and the warning look Jack pinned on Sam. "Anubis has them?"

"Not sure, sir. The Jaffa hiding behind the super slugs all had different Picasso work. Don't know if they defected to Anubis or if it was a joint attack. At this point all we know is that they're MIA."

Again Hammond noticed the emphasis. "What aren't you telling me?" His question was directed at Sam since he already figured that he wasn't going to get a straight answer from Jack.

The major hesitated a moment, her eyes darting to Jack with an expression Hammond had yet to understand, then drew back her shoulders. "Just before the teltak appeared, Daniel took a direct hit from a staff blast to the back. He wasn't moving, sir."

Hammond never thought he'd say this, but for once having his people captured by a Goa'uld was a good thing. "The Jacksons were clearly targeted, whomever has them wanted them alive. A sarcophagus..." He trailed off when Sam's head dipped to hide the sheen of tears, even as Jack tensed. What was he missing? "What else happened?"

Sam took a deep breath. "A split second before we saw the light of the first ring there was another light...it was ascending, sir, not descending."

"It was a reflection off the volcanic glass," Jack insisted. "The Alpha site is littered with the stuff."

"I see," Hammond said quietly. Now he knew what had caused the very strained undercurrents between the colonel and major. "Teal'c, did you also see this ascending light?"

The Jaffa had remained quiet in the background, but his body was taut. "I did not. I was providing cover fire. By the time I turned around the rings were already returning to the teltak."

Hammond returned his attention to Jack and Sam, read the plea in the colonel's eyes, and that Sam, while she had been the one to voice the event of the ascending light, really didn't want to make it official. "Annika Jackson and Daniel Jackson will be officially listed as MIA until we have confirmation either way."

A fraction of the tension eased from the trio's shoulders. It was a smidgen of hope, even if it was false hope.

Hammond changed the subject. "What's the status of the Alpha site?"

"Everything topside is pretty much leveled." Jack was grateful to have something else to focus on. "The fact that there's no new crater where the underground facility is makes us confident that it's intact, but we won't know for sure until the rubble is cleared. No news from the people inside?"

"No. But the dial up computer wasn't completely operational yet. No new troops of Kulls or Jaffa being deployed in?"

Jack shook his head. "They seem to have given up, at least the alkesh have all gone for now. Don't know if it's just to get reinforcements. The teams are taking care of the stragglers left behind."

"Any word on Doctor Fraiser and Captain Richards?"

"No, sir," Sam took over. "They've tried to contact them by radio but have had no response. The combat engineers were just setting up before we left."

"How bad was the cave in?" He'd heard the initial report but wanted his primary team's opinion.

"Pretty bad, sir. We're hoping they're trapped in an air pocket."

Three heads bobbed up and down and headed for the briefing room that Hammond had already set up with all the intel for them to sift through of the galaxy wide assault. Hammond watched them go, was sure that it was only sheer mule-headedness that kept them from showing any of the worry and fears for their missing teammates to the rest of the personnel. He turned to the great stone ring that for the first time in the last three and a half hours was silently still, and sent up a heartfelt prayer. Please let the next activation reveal some good news, for all their sakes.