New Digs
Posted on Tue Oct 14th, 2025 @ 6:06pm by Major General Richard Lockhart (Raynor) & Commander Aaron Wander
Mission:
Echoes of the Fallen
Location: Conference Room - Stargate Command
1863 words - 3.7 OF Standard Post Measure
The cold and crisp air felt amazingly nice after the recirculated air from inside the HMCS William Hall. He had fond memories from so many years ago when he'd just started his career on that very ship. The first deployment had been an anti-drug operation in the Caribbean. A far cry from the current course and mission.
The official mission for the vessel was for scientific surveys near the Antarctic. And for the most part, that was correct. His own mission though, was to be picked up via this helicopter and flown to McMurdo station. Where his first deployment had been somewhat relaxed and filled with good times and cheers, he found that he spent most of this trip in the secure documents room reading the background information that he needed to understand for Stargate Command.
He walked briskly across the helipad and ducked low as he stepped into the helicopter and began strapping himself in. He watched as two more sailors brought the lock box containing his personal items out to the copter and placed it in the hold behind him as three other officers also boarded and strapped themselves in.
Aaron was only tangentially familiar with them as for the most part they had been told to avoid discussing their postings while in transit, even with each other. The most he knew was that it sounded like he was the only one out of this group that would be going off world. He adjusted the comm system by his mouth and adjusted the frequency to the one he'd been told during the briefing for this leg of the journey.
"Everyone set?" The pilot asked through the internal comms. He was met with an all clear from everyone and informed the ship staff that they would be taking off shortly.
Aaron settled back into his seat and closed his eyes. He'd learned during his career to catch some rest whenever the opportunity presented itself.
As sleep found him, he went back to where he always did lately. That bright Sunday afternoon carrying on with Kevin while Dan manned the BBQ. It'd taken years and a lot of therapy to move from the more tragic dreams back to this peaceful one. The sadness and anger would creep back up on occasion, but he always focused on this. Celebrate the time they had together, not mourn it.
He opened his eyes again once he felt the sensation of the helicopter land and the whirl of the blades change tone as the engines cut power.
The door slid open and the blast of frigid air hit them hard. He grinned a little and wondered if the decision to keep the gate here was to deter any civilians who might get too curious. Either way, he could be content here; the cold never bothered him anyway.
A short while and a long elevator ride down, Aaron sat in the briefing room awaiting his first meeting with the brass from Stargate Command.
The briefing room door opened with ease, and General Richard Lockhart stepped through alone, from his office. No aides, no guards, just the man himself. He carried his presence the way career soldiers did, a blend of calm confidence and sharp authority that filled the room without needing to be announced.
His uniform was crisp, his dress blue uniform unbuttoned at the collar, and he carried a battered leather folder tucked under one arm. For all the modern systems around them, he still preferred paper when it came to introductions, old habits, he’d once admitted, were hard to break.
Lockhart’s pale blue eyes swept the room and landed on the newcomer. He didn’t smile right away. Instead, he studied him for a long, thoughtful beat, the kind of look that measured a man’s readiness as much as his posture or his record. Then the faintest curl touched the corner of his mouth.
“Commander Aaron Wander,” Lockhart said, his voice even, carrying just enough weight to remind the other man that this wasn’t a casual posting. “Welcome to Stargate Command. I trust McMurdo gave you a proper chill before you came down?"
"Felt just like home sir." Aaron replied as he stood up to greet the general. "General Lockhart I presume?"
"My briefing on the way here was lacking a lot of details sir. The bulk of the details were redacted even with my clearance." Aaron continued. "The only thing that was clear, was this was for off world deployments."
"I apologize, yes. General Richard Lockhart," the general said as he stepped forward, extending a firm hand. His voice carried the weight of years of command but held a steady, approachable tone. Once their hands clasped and released, Lockhart moved to a recessed panel on the wall. A quiet click followed as he pressed a switch, and the steel-gray surface of the observation window shifted, the opaque alloy sliding into transparency.
The view revealed the heart of the facility: the Gate Room.
What might have been expected as a simple chamber instead sprawled out into a vast operations bay. The Stargate stood at the far end, mounted atop a wide, reinforced ramp that stretched down into the chamber floor, but what truly set the space apart was its sheer scale. The ceiling soared high overhead, ribbed with exposed structural supports and illumination panels that bathed the chamber in cold white light. The walls bore the faint shimmer of layered trinium-alloy plating, durable enough to withstand both weapons fire and the stresses of off-world operations.
This Gate Room was not confined or narrow. The chamber extended outward on both sides, wide enough for full-size vehicles to maneuver. The entire upper-right section of the facility served as a staging zone: armored personnel carriers, light transports, and even modified aircraft could be parked or prepped for gate travel. Rows of retractable barriers lined the floor, creating lanes that could be opened or sealed off depending on the defensive requirements.
A raised control gallery overlooked the ramp, staffed with technicians monitoring sensor readouts and gate diagnostics. Catwalks stretched along the chamber’s sides, giving engineers and security a clear vantage point from above. The faint hum of energy resonated through the plating as the naquadah reactors, in a different section of the base, ready to activate the massive ring at a moment’s notice.
Lockhart gestured toward the window, his expression steady but edged with pride.
“This,” he said, “is where it all begins. Every mission, every step we take beyond our world, passes through here, along with the spacecraft at our disposal.” He paused, letting his gaze settle on the Gate Room below.
“With this design, we’re not limited to small strike teams. We can deploy squads, vehicles, even full-scale operations when necessary. It’s built for the challenges ahead… and I expect it will serve us well in the missions to come.”
Aaron took in the view in silence. His gaze fell to some of the vehicles off to the side in the large room. The equipment looked familiar, reverse engineered from some of the pieces his own teams had recovered and researched.
"Impressive." He responded after a moment. "It's good to finally see where some of our research goes. Can't wait to get to use some of it sir."
Aaron let his gaze go over the large hangar-like gate room and finally back to resting on the gate itself. He'd seen the pictures from the report, but even from this distance it was obvious to see the images didn't do justice to the gate. "Not to get ahead of myself General, but when do we get started?"
General Lockhart gave Aaron a short nod, the corner of his mouth twitching in what might have been the beginnings of a smile.
"In due time, Commander," he replied, his voice carrying that steady mix of patience and authority. Turning from the sight of the gate, he moved back toward the conference table and settled into his chair. "The Gladiator should be arriving shortly. Once she’s docked, we’ll be conducting a full debriefing with their crew."
He rested his forearms on the table, fingers laced together as his eyes returned to Aaron. "We’ve been green-lit for multiple missions to a handful of worlds. This isn’t just theory anymore, we’re going to put all that research and training into practice. And unlike the first mission and other before…" he let the words hang a moment, a glint of pride sharpening his tone, "we won’t require Asgard oversight. This is ours to run now."
"I appreciated the training wheels sir, but I agree that it'll be nice for us to see what is out there for ourselves." Aaron agreed. He was a little familiar with the Gladiator, but only in that it existed and that it had gone on a long deployment. It would be interesting to find out what had happened directly.
"If we're good sir, I can do a bit more reading and familiarization with the outfit before the briefing. I don't want to seem completely green." He said with half a grin.
"Fair enough," Richard said with a short nod. "As for your assignment, if you’re ready and willing, I’m placing you in command of our second field unit, SG-2. I’ve already set aside some additional reading for you, and I’ll need you to build your team from the provided list."
He opened his leather portfolio and pulled out a neatly clipped stack of papers, sliding them across the table. "Here it is. Their full service records are in the database, you’ll have access from your office. It’s not a big space, but it’ll serve. And if you need more room, you’re welcome to use this conference room. Just coordinate with support staff to avoid scheduling conflicts."
"Thank you sir." Aaron replied. "I ran the North Atlantic salvage operations from little more than a broom closet. Anything with a door should do fine."
He looked down at his own folder of papers. On top were the list of places he had to check, one being his office and the other being his quarters. By the time he got to his quarters, his kit should be delivered. Aaron stood crisp and held the files tight to his side. "Permission to be leave sir?"
Lockhart smirked faintly, leaning back in his chair. “After a broom closet, I suppose we’re practically spoiling you here.” His tone carried just a touch of dry humor before settling back into formality.
He gave Aaron a measured nod. “Permission granted, Commander. Get yourself squared away, and make sure your team is assembled and ready for briefing at 0800. And I'd also recommend meeting up with Colonel Raynor. He is the SG-1's leader. Dismissed.”
"Aye sir." Aaron said as he stood crisply at attention. "See you at 0800." Turning, Aaron wondered how Colonel Raynor was in person compared to the person he'd built in his mind through the briefings and reports.
Richard Lockhart, Maj. General
Commander, SGC
(SPNC)
&
Aaron Wander, Commander
SG-2 Leader, SGC
