Siler gave a final tweak with his wrench. "Okay, Doctor Jackson, try it now."

Daniel waved his hand across the trip laser at thigh level and the mechanism silently released. Cutout figures of a woman and child slid out from behind a vendor's cart approximately six feet in front of him. "That's much better."

Across the hanger floor another cutout figure sprang forth.

"Sergeant Siler, can we not make this one appear at a greater speed?" Teal'c asked, critically eyeing the representation of a Jaffa in combat. "A true Jaffa would not be so slow."

"Coming right up." Siler moved to the control panel that was disguised behind a fake window. "Teal'c, what's the code on the back of the spring?"

Teal'c looked behind the cutout. "B14."

A few seconds later he'd made the adjustment and reset it. "How's that?"

Teal'c moved back to the trip laser, this one being located ten feet from the target at ankle height. When his boot crossed the laser, the cutout shot out faster than before. "It is a more realistic speed."

Teal'c and Daniel studied the angle of the Jaffa cutout that was in a kneeling position in an alley, following the line of sight of the painted staff weapon.

"Just a fraction," Daniel agreed.

The general altered the angle, then had Siler reset it and he tested it one more time. Satisfied it was working and positioned correctly, he brushed off his hands. "Okay, that's it. Ready to do the final dry run?"

At the nod from his two teammates they headed for the official starting point. General Hammond had tasked them with updating the moving target simulations all of the SGC personnel were required to take in addition to their firearms qualification. The usual simulation, which consisted of silhouettes springing up on an open range field, while fine for the 'normal' military who knew nothing of the Stargate and alien enemies, was inappropriate for those who worked at the SGC. It was decided that since the SGC had its own training ground and firing range, the simulation should reflect a real life scenario. The renovation was long overdue, and given that all was quiet in Goa'uld Land due to all the snakeheads scurrying to recoup their losses after Anubis's galaxy wide attack, they actually had the time to devote to the project. They had two different simulations worked out. One, that was a replica of an actual level of the base in a foothold situation, had been installed in hanger B and tested yesterday. All the personnel whether they were assigned to a team or remained on base, had to pass that one. The other, the one they had just finished setting up in hanger C, was more advanced, designed for teams going off-world.

"Siler, you clear?" Jack called out, not seeing the tech sergeant anywhere amongst the stalls, carts, buildings and 'people' who were supposed to be simple town folk going about their business.

"Yes, sir." Siler appeared from the far corner, sliding out from behind a cluster of chipboard livestock.

"Okay, flick the switch."

Siler pressed a button hidden on one of the support beams for the livestock pen, and the red row of lights along the top of hanger walls indicating the simulation was in progress, blinked on.

Jack, Daniel and Teal'c began walking through the 'crowd', being sure to trip every single one of the lasers to cause the moving targets to activate. The dry run went off without a hitch. Habit had them waiting at the other end of the hanger until the red lights turned green, indicating ceasefire and it was safe to walk back through. Not that they had been using any actual weapons this time, but on a normal day crossing a firing range when the red light was on was just asking to be shot.

Halfway through they all froze as the light flickered back to red.

"Siler, you hit the wrong switch or something?" Jack called out, his ears straining for the sound of weapons powering up and for any sounds of movement. He didn't have to look at his teammates to know they were already reaching for their guns, ready to defend themselves.

"Sorry, sir," the tech sergeant's voice echoed at them from the direction of the starting point. "One of the targets must be causing a glitch. There's no one else here but us."

The tension in the three men eased somewhat, though they didn't truly relax until they were out of the simulation grid.

They gathered back at the starting point, intending to do one more run through. This final test run would be with live fire for they had added in a few surprises which would only activate if the targets were hit with the force of weapon fire, whether it be a bullet, staff blast or zat'. While they waited for Siler to reset the targets back into their hidey-holes, they took a moment to survey all they had created. Lighting glitch aside, it was a damned fine job.

"And God said, 'It was good'," Jack grinned.

The sound of a bellowing voice outside the hanger interrupted them before they could begin the live test.

"And God said, 'What the hell is going on?'"

They headed to the hanger door to find forty odd people milling outside the next hanger which housed the standard firing range. Though there were a few military personnel, the majority were civilian staff from the base. At the main entrance was a gunnery sergeant none of them recognized trying to organize the group.

Jack spied Ferretti leaning against the hanger wall looking none too happy. "Hey, Lou, what's happening?"

The major pushed off the wall and came over with a scowl. "Paperwork snafu. Somehow forty-five re-qualifying papers disappeared into thin air. We gotta go through the rigmarole again."

"How do you misplace that many scorecards?" Jack demanded of no one in particular. "Even I don't lose that much paperwork."

"Dunno," Ferretti shrugged. "And get this, somehow all the scores for table four made it into the computer, but tables one, two and three went the way of Hamlet's ghost."

"So they're making you redo the easy levels even though every person here passed the difficult one?" Daniel didn't attempt to hide his incredulity.

The major gave a single nod.

"Even though one cannot complete table four without first completing the first three tables?" the archaeologist pressed, trying to wrap his head around the illogicality.

When Ferretti gave another nod, Teal'c gave his head a shake in bafflement. "Just when I believe I have mastered an understanding of your military institution I am proven wrong."

"God bless the Air Force with their unwavering need to cross every T and dot every I," Jack's tone was dry.

"Holster those weapons!"

The bullhorn bellow erupted into the air and had the effect of Moses parting the Red Sea. The civilians, already intimidated after just a couple of minutes with the gunny, practically jumped out of the Marine's way as he stalked towards the hanger where SG-1 and Ferretti were standing.

"I'm sorry, are you talking to us?" Daniel asked a little aback by the man's arrogant attitude.

"I see we have a wiseass among us." The gunny, looking like he had just stepped out of a billboard ad for the Corps, complete with buzz-cut and muscles that put Teal'c's to shame, planted his feet right up to the archaeologist and leant forward deliberately invading his personal space. "Do you see anyone else with weapons drawn?"

In truth, the weight of a gun in their hands had become such second nature that they hadn't realized they had walked out still holding their guns, ready for the simulation test.

It was instinctual for Jack to jump in. He wouldn't let anyone try to muscle one of his 'kids'. "It's just that we're so damned excited to be here, sir." He waved his gun about in 'excitement' forcing the gunny to step back. "If we pass this test we get to go off on missions."

"You won't be going anywhere if you keep waving that gun in my face."

"Begging your pardon." Jack thought he did a remarkable impression of Felger's 'loyal puppy dog' expression, and re-holstered his gun. "Won't happen again."

Daniel and Teal'c followed Jack's cue, also re-holstering their nine mils.

"See that it doesn't," the gunny growled, then spun on his heel to address the rest of the group who had been paying avid attention to the confrontation. "Attention all personnel, to expedite the process you will be delegated a number. At the end of the qualifier, write your name and serial number on the board next to your number." He took a deep breath and began walking back through the crowd towards the range hanger. "Once you pass through this door, I do not care about rank or salutation, do not care about how many medals you have received, if you've won a Nobel prize, if your IQ is over one fifty or if you shot a perfect score in your last re-qualifier which mysteriously got mislaid. The only thing I care about is your performance here today."

"Impudent little upstart," Jack murmured, his eyes not missing how the scientists and doctors were becoming more jittery with every passing second. The way they were now they'd be lucky to hit the broad side of a barn. He knew that these people, while not the most confident with a gun, had been able to hold their own in the times the base had been infiltrated. This gunny had managed to strip whatever confidence they had as far as their weapons training went. He was just glad that Felger wasn't amongst the group. A walking disaster area at the best of times, he shuddered at what accidents the nervous scientist could cause when faced with today's predicament.

"Indeed," Teal'c agreed, also taking in the wavering demeanors and the almost pleading looks being sent their way to assist. Intimidation served its purpose, but it was uncalled for in this instance.

"A little bit of manners wouldn't kill him," Daniel added. Long gone were the days where such an aggressive alpha male intimidated the scholar. Facing down over a dozen Goa'uld and numerous other alien bad guys tended to do that to a person. Not that he'd ever been truly intimidated by displays of testosterone induced machoism; it had been more a case of water off a duck's back when it had been directed at him. That pacifism however, was non-existent when he witnessed it being done to someone else.

"I'd say a little lesson in etiquette is called for," Jack announced. He wasn't one to stand on rank, but he didn't take to needless intimidation. Every person here, whether they were a civilian lab rat or on a SG team, put their asses on the line every day and deserved to be treated with respect. "How do you feel about getting in some shooting practice?" Daniel and Teal'c were nodding in agreement before he even finished speaking. Ferretti just scowled at the retreating gunny's back, which Jack took as agreement, though he couldn't be sure since lately the leader of SG-2 was scowling at everyone. Made a mental note to have a chat with his friend once this 'situation' was dealt with. He noticed Hornsby, a Marine who was a regular part of the security detail within the Mountain, standing off to one side. It was clear he was on a break since he was at ease and lighting up a cigarette. "Lou, why don't you encourage the military crew to go first while we gather some intel?"

Ferretti nodded and began to casually walk through the crowd passing along the suggestion.

Jack gave a low whistle to catch Hornsby's attention.

When Hornsby looked up and saw it was the general calling him, he started to stub out the smoke. Jack flapped his hand gesturing it wasn't necessary. He hurried over and was about to salute as was protocol when outdoors on base, however Jack again motioned for him stop.

"Let's keep rank out of this."

"Of course, sir," he nodded.

"What's the deal with Mr Personality?"

"The newbie gunny is just a bit tense, sir." He felt obliged to defend his fellow Marine, although it warred with the loyalty that had grown towards the SGC. "He arrived fresh from his transfer this morning to find most of his crew off sick with that flu that's going around, and that it had slipped the former gunny's mind to tell him of the retesting."

"Given the sick calls, shouldn't you be lending a hand?" Daniel wasn't judging. From the first day Hornsby had started he had always been eager to help whatever the situation. Daniel simply found it odd that he wasn't doing so now.

"That wasn't my call, Doctor Jackson. The gunny was quite insistent that he could handle the re-qualifying himself."

"Interesting, but not why we called you over." Jack disapproved of the new gunny's attitude, especially since the SGC was basically a large team working together. "Has he had the nickel and dime tour?"

"Yes, sir."

"He does not appear impressed," Teal'c observed.

"Well, you know how it is, sir. They tell you about wormholes and that aliens exist, and you nod your head and agree, but you don't really get it, not really, until you see everything in action. The orientation today was uneventful, no teams coming home or leaving, no unexpected visits from the stars."

"Thanks, Hornsby," Jack dismissed the Marine, and accepted the roll of stickers being passed through the crowd. "Sweet sixteen, my luck number." Jack peeled off the next three stickers. He saw the thoughtful look on Teal'c's face. "T?"

"In the gunnery sergeant's orientation do you think any mention was given to the uniqueness of SG-1's members?"

"I can answer that." Ferretti sidled up to them. "It's all set for the off-worlders to go first," he reported, then answered Teal'c's question. "You guys get a special mention in the unofficial lowdown of the goings on in the base."

"We do?" Daniel raised an eyebrow. A modest man, he found it odd to be part of a team singled out, especially when to him they were just doing their job. A job he loved, but 'just' a job nonetheless, working no harder than the rest of the personnel.

The major nodded. "Best of the best, yadda yadda, plus a warning not to piss any of you off. Especially Teal'c with his Jaffa honor thing and Annika with her hocus pocus."

Teal'c had suspected as much but it was good to have it confirmed. "And did not the gunnery sergeant request anonymity from the participants here?"

"He did," Daniel confirmed.

"As the only Jaffa on base, that will not be possible for me."

"I see your point," Jack said sagely, glancing at the gold emblem, which he hardly noticed anymore. Because they were on SGC grounds, Teal'c wasn't wearing the bandana he normally wore in public. It had been fluke that the gunny, more intent on throwing his weight around than paying attention to little 'details', had missed the identifying mark of their resident Jaffa.

The three men shared a look, then as one they stuck the stickers to their foreheads.

At that point Ferretti decided that there was no way in hell he was going to go before SG-1 and miss what they had planned. The mischievous gleam to their eyes sparked the same in himself; a spark he was well aware had been uncharacteristically missing from his personality of late. Wanting to keep it rekindled as well as lend a hand for a good cause, he asked, "You want a hand?"

The three considered the offer. Backup was always handy to have, especially from someone renown of 'like mind', yet Jack shook his head. "Our lesson on 'not to mess with family' could go ass up. Don't want to risk screwing up your re-qual."

Though the comment was directed at Ferretti, the others overheard. They seemed to puff with pride at Jack referring to them as 'family'. The renewed confidence wasn't missed by the primary team. They hadn't even 'done' anything yet and their plan was reaping rewards. They could hardly wait until they actually started putting in an effort.

Jack, Teal'c and Daniel waited patiently in line for the cubicles to free up, dutifully marking their silhouettes with their designated numbers. When they stood up to the marks the gunnery sergeant's eyes narrowed at their sticker placement.

"You men consider this a joke?"

"Not at all," Jack replied seriously. "Just making it easier for you to see our designations."

The gunny gave them a hard look but simply replied, "Begin when ready."

They clipped the silhouettes to the runners and hit the button to send them the required distance for the handguns they were 're-qualifying' for. Checking their guns, they noticed that the men who had already completed their retesting were finding excuses to linger in the hanger.

"Oh, Sixteen?" Daniel leant back looking to Jack who was standing on the other side of Teal'c. "Just checking, the bullets come from this end, don't they?" He pointed to the muzzle.

"That they do, Seventeen," Jack confirmed. "And don't forget the safety."

"Right," Daniel gave the gunny an apologetic smile, adjusting his glasses on his nose. "Because I haven't had much experience with guns."

The personnel did a remarkable job of hiding their sniggers behind coughs.

Jack gave the nod and the signal light indicating the range was clear flicked on.

The three men without hesitation fired their nine mils, shooting the required seven rounds for the first stage. When the button was pushed reeling the silhouettes back, more heads than just the gunny's craned for a look. The results weren't what any of them expected.

The two outer sheets were completely intact. The middle sheet, however, had two tight clusters of holes in the head and neck, and what appeared to be a single shot to the chest.

The gunny didn't try to hide his surprise as he studied Jack's and Daniel's sheets. "You missed the targets completely."

"Did not," Jack denied indignantly. He pointed to Teal'c's sheet. "The head shots are mine, the neck's are Seventeen's and the chest's are Eighteen's."

Before answering, the gunny flicked to the last sheaf of paper on his clipboard that held the list of personnel scheduled to be tested today. He was pretty sure there were no first timers on the list, so everyone here should know the proper procedure. He skipped over the names, focusing instead on the tasks in the next column. Every name had the code for re-qualification next to it. "Your shots are not to crossover to another's target."

"Now what kind of team work is that?" Daniel asked, eyes wide.

"Seventeen's and my silhouettes looked innocent," Jack defended their 'misses', then gestured to Teal'c's. "But Eighteen's looked shifty, we had to take his out first."

"Eliminate the obvious enemy first is standard combat protocol," Teal'c agreed.

"Oh wait," Daniel snapped his fingers, "Guess we're so nervous we confused the advanced simulation in hanger C with this one."

"Oops, our bad." Jack gave an apologetic grin. "But Eighteen's shots should still count."

The gunny reined in his irritation. "Fine, if these are your teammates' shots then it was you," he looked directly at Teal'c, "who missed all but one of your shots."

"I did not," Teal'c's back stiffened. "All of my bullets hit their mark."

"There's only one hole."

"My bullets struck in exactly the same spot each time I pulled the trigger."

"That is impossible."

"Impossible is not a word we use around here," Jack breezed.

"Actually given this controlled environment it is entirely possible," Daniel piped up, then launched into lecture mode. "There're no outside elements such as wind drift to change the path of the bullet, nor was the target moving, so there was no need to compensate for target lead, or make elevation adjustments..."

Jack for once didn't find himself tuning out Daniel's longwinded explanation as he recited the intricate details of aiming and firing a gun. In hindsight he didn't know why it amazed him that Daniel had really researched the science behind bullet trajectory. His friend was a researcher by nature and he knew that in the early years Daniel had worked his ass off to fit in and train up so that he would be an asset in combat.

"...so all that my colleague Eighteen needed," Daniel wrapped up his impromptu lecture, "was a steady hand and good line of sight for him to repeatedly and precisely hit the target."

"That was beautiful, Seventeen," Jack gave a golf clap. "I never knew you knew so much about wind sheer and bullet trajectory."

"Thank you, Sixteen," Daniel gave a nod at the compliment. "It's nice to be appreciated."

"Stop wasting time and begin the second stage," the gunny ordered.

Dutifully Teal'c reached for a new silhouette. Jack and Daniel simply 'reused' their first target sheets.

"Let me help you there, Eighteen," Jack unclipped Teal'c's first target sheet.

"My gratitude, Sixteen," Teal'c nodded.

"No sweat, that's what we do around here," Jack brushed the thanks aside.

"That's what's great about the SGC," Daniel said conversationally. "We all help each other, show due respect and consideration, like one big extended family."

"This is the military, there's no time for warm fuzzies," the gunny snapped. "If you want that then go home to Mommy."

Daniel blinked up at him. "Oh, I'd love to, but my mommy's dead. Terrible tragedy, my dad never recovered from it."

The gunny held up his hand cutting Daniel off. "Just shoot the target." He pinned a hard stare at Jack and Daniel. "Specifically your own targets."

Any reply they would have given was foiled by Siler appearing at the hanger door, craning his neck to see through the crowd. "Sorry for the interruption, but is General O'Neill in here?"

Before any heads could turn to blow their cover, Jack called out, "No generals here, Siler. Apparently all ranks ceased to exist at the door."

To Siler's credit he didn't bat an eye. "Okay, thanks, I guess I'll try elsewhere. If you see him, let him know the glitch in hanger C is taken care of."

Jack gave the tech sergeant an absent wave of acknowledgement as he added a new clip of ammunition to his gun.

Distracted by Daniel and Jack's banter and then Siler's interruption, the gunny didn't notice Teal'c had gestured to Ferretti to hand him one of the intar staffs from the rack lining the wall. The Jaffa deftly removed the stunning clip, reverting it to a lethal weapon. When the gunny announced 'Commence fire', Teal'c calmly raised the staff and in one fluid move fired it at the silhouette.

"Ceasefire!"

As procedure required Jack and Daniel stopped firing their guns.

The gunny tried not to gape at the large hole that now existed where the chest cavity of Teal'c's target had been. "That is not an authorized weapon."

"I'll be sure to mention that to the next enemy Jaffa we run into," Jack quipped.

Teal'c kept the staff raised. "Since your eyesight failed you the last time, I wished there to be no doubt of my performance now." Almost nonchalantly he fired the weapon a second time, hitting the exact same point. "As you can see, it is possible to hit the same location on a target twice."

"I can't re-qualify you using that weapon."

"This is the 'Alternate Qualification Course' is it not?" Teal'c raised an eyebrow at the gunny.

"It's the 'Alternate Pistol Qualification Course," the marine ground out then pointed to the staff. "That is not a pistol."

"A misleading title," Daniel jumped in. "It could be interpreted as an alternative to the pistol."

"It's not." The gunny's patience was wearing very thin, yet he somehow found himself playing into this lunacy by explaining. "Alternate refers to the course, not the weapon being used. The APQC is used when the CPQC is not available."

"CPQC?" Jack wore an expression of convincing bafflement. "Give me a second I know that acronym...Colonel's Prefer Quiet Captains? Or is that 'Quick Captains'?"

"Combat Pistol Qualification Course," the gunny clarified, "is for qualifying with M9, nine millimeter pistols, and the M11, nine millimeter pistols only."

"Very well." Teal'c didn't even blink. He glanced at his target still positioned twenty-five feet down the hanger, raised his nine mil at the silhouette, then twisted his head back to look at the gunny and emptied his clip. "I trust that should satisfy the requirements for phase two of the marksmanship re-qualification."

The gunny reeled Teal'c's target back to show a neat cluster of holes in the head area. Heads swung back for the gunny's reaction, expecting that any second now, steam would come hissing out from his ears.

The gunny had known he'd be subjected to a certain amount of hazing when he accepted this transfer, however, there was a time and place for everything. Now was not the time. And if these three wanted to blow their chances at retaining their marksman papers for a practical joke on the new guy, then he had no qualms about failing them. He had a schedule to keep and he'd be damned if he'd allow this trio to make him look bad to his superiors on his first day. "It would, but you broke procedure by firing after the ceasefire had been called."

As Daniel hit the button to bring his and Jack's targets back, his expression was one of abject disappointment. "There's just no pleasing you, is there?"

The gunny didn't reply, simply studied the results of the second phase. Jack's he barely glanced at, taking in the tight cluster of holes. The precision of the shots only confirmed for him that they weren't part of the official retest group. He'd managed to briefly familiarize himself with the last scores of the personnel before starting the retest and none of them qualified as Expert, which required eighty-seven percent or higher accuracy. The results of these three, as unconventional as their methods were, had been damned near a hundred percent, especially with the slightly different score rings that were designed specifically, so he had learned, for the SGC. The neck area on a standard silhouette could only earn four points at most per hit, where as on these targets they earned the top score, the same as a center chest shot. The gunny recalled something in his orientation debrief of a creature called a symbiote attaching itself to the brain stem of a host victim and a shot to the host's neck was a sure way to kill it before it could switch bodies. He shook off the feeling of repulsion at that thought, still more than a little shell-shocked by what his 'simple' work transfer had revealed, and focused on the current situation. So this was a hazing. Determined to move it along and get it over with, he moved on to the third silhouette ready to tally the score. Despite knowing that he was playing into their game, he found himself asking, "What is that?"

"Thank you for asking, gunny," Jack beamed. "I was going to ask my learned colleague Seventeen the same thing."

"It's the twenty-third glyph of the 'gate," Daniel said proudly.

"I can see that," Jack continued on, ignoring the gunny's irritated sigh at the further delay. "But what's this?" He poked his finger through a single bullet hole that was in the surrounding white of the sheet, making it an obvious miss.

"Can I help it if the glyph has a 'dot' that doesn't fit in the silhouette? You know me, a stickler for the details."

"Enough!" Annoyingly the gunny realized he had to bite the inside of his cheek to stop a smile from escaping. This was a serious task assigned to him, he would not show that these jokers in any way amused him. Noted that the 'spectators' weren't bothering to shown such restraint from the quiet snorts they only halfheartedly tried to cover up. "Next phase will begin in ten seconds."

"Can we please get a count down?" Jack requested innocently of the gunny.

He was about to bark out 'No' but the personnel who had been avidly watching the shenanigans, began to chant the count.

The three reloaded their guns, sharing a look to confirm they were ready for 'their' version of phase three.

"Three...two...one..."

To the gunny's surprise the trio took a step back so they were standing outside the confines of the cubicles.

"Fire," Jack gave the call and they fired off double shots at the targets, as was SOP. And then they moved. Jack crouched in front of Teal'c's spot while Daniel and Teal'c remained standing, taking a step to the right. Another double tap, they switched places again, this time Teal'c was the one who knelt. Double tap, another switching and a change of hand grip. The gunny almost missed their reload so quick and fluid were their movements, and then they began their synchronized dance of ducking and weaving between themselves again, hardly pausing for their second reload. And in between the shots, the men's voices were clearly heard.

"Excuse me...watch your step...thank you so much...pardon me...nice shot...well done...thank you..."

The gunny surprised himself by having to bite back a laugh at the 'ever so polite' display. Angry at himself for his amusement at the men making a mockery of the training that would ultimately save their lives in combat, he growled out the ceasefire then asked, "Are you gentlemen deaf?"

"Not according to the CMO," Teal'c replied calmly.

"You blatantly disregarded the order not to cross targets."

"Ah, excuse me," Daniel raised his hand in the air like a student in class. "If you check the overhead cameras, you'll see that all my bullets hit only my target, and the same for Sixteen's and Eighteen's."

"It doesn't say anywhere in the regs that we can't move around," Jack paused. "Or are we confusing this with the hanger C test again?" At his teammates' shrug of non-commitment, he carried on. "But we performed the different stances and hand grips required for nine mil re-qual. That's gotta count for something."

The gunny conceded defeat. "Okay, you've had your fun..."

"Nope, we're just getting started," Jack contradicted, seeing the man had finally clued in that things were not as they appeared. "Just wait until you see what we have in store for the live simulation."

The gunny's lips twitched. "The advanced simulation wasn't part of today's schedule."

Daniel pushed his glasses up his nose. "You think we'd let something like that stop us? We'd have convinced you to test us in hanger C somehow."

Of that, the gunny had no doubt. If the last half hour had taught him anything, it was that these three had a way of taking control of a situation. "What're your ranks or salutations?"

"Forgive these aging ears, but I'm pretty damned certain you pronounced that rank, salutation, nor past deeds or achievements, of which there are a great many by the way, from these fine folks," Jack thumbed behind him to the doctors and scientists, "doesn't matter within these four walls."

"In quite a discourteous manner," Teal'c added.

The gunny heaved a sigh, finally figuring out what their 'performance' had truly been about. Another comment from his orientation with General Hammond echoed in his mind. 'You'll find the SGC is different from other military postings. Due to the confidential nature of the work, the personnel are more tight knit. The bonds between individual teams are tight, like anywhere else, however, that bond expands to encompass all who work in the Mountain.' The gunny realized that he had just seen that bond in action. Having only worked with Marines and other trained military factions, his no-nonsense drill sergeant routine, which had been expected in his former placement, had offended...and now that he looked back...intimidated the civilians, of which he knew made up just over a third of the SGC personnel. These three men were simply supporting their unit, letting him know that such behavior would not be tolerated. "Your point has been made." He looked over the heads of the trio to the people standing behind. "I apologize for any disrespect."

Jack, Daniel and Teal'c twisted their heads around, seeing that the anxiety the gunny had created was gone, replaced with a wary willingness to accept the attitude change.

"Accepted," Jack answered for all.

Daniel turned back to the gunny. "We haven't been formally introduced. You are...?"

"Gunnery Sergeant Phillips."

The archaeologist stuck out his hand. "Doctor Daniel Jackson. The gentleman to your right is Teal'c of Chulak, and my other colleague is..."

"General O'Neill."

Heads swung around at the new voice they all recognized.

"Changing your name, sir?" Jack quipped as a path was quickly cleared for the base CO. "It's a fine choice, if I do say so myself."

"General, what's going on?" Hammond raised an eyebrow at his 2IC. He'd come up to check on the progress of the live simulation refit and was surprised to find hanger C empty and the re-qualification group hardly diminished. Wasn't exactly shocked to find the members of SG-1 as the cause of the delay of the retest.

"Just introducing ourselves to the new man, sir," Jack replied. "You know, doing the General-duty thing."

"I see." The base commander didn't need Mrs Jackson's psychic abilities to sense there was more to it than that, especially since it was obvious that the three members of SG-1 had been participating in the re-qualification they were not rostered to do. Did a double glance at the discarded silhouettes. Was that a 'gate glyph and a staff blast? "I trust everyone has made you feel welcome, Gunnery Sergeant?"

Phillips stole a glance at the premier team, who suddenly wore blank expressions. General O'Neill was finding the ceiling a very interesting thing to study and the gunny fully expected him to start whistling an innocent little ditty at any moment. Doctor Jackson brushed an imaginary piece of lint from his shoulder, while Teal'c began gathering up the used targets to dispose of the evidence. He also saw the civilians straighten, ready to leap to the team's defense should his answer be anything but complimentary. "With the utmost courtesy, General."

"Then let's return to our business, people." Hammond decided that he'd get the real story from his 2IC while he inspected the new range simulation. "SG-1, I'd like a progress report on the simulation installation."

"Of course, sir," Jack nodded. "We're just about to conduct a live test."

Daniel and Teal'c fell into step with the General, Daniel already launching into a detailed update.

Jack held back a second, addressing the newbie. "Welcome to the SGC, gunny." He gave a deliberately sloppy salute and sauntered from the hanger.