Author's Note

Those this fic is technically a crossover with the Dark Angel series, it simply borrows its ideas (that transgenics do exist). No active characters (such as Max) are planned on making an appearance as of yet, hence my decision to post this under the Stargate Category. I fully realize that the two shows do not coincide time-wise (Stargate set at present, Dark Angel set in 2020); I'm using my almighty power to assume that genetic experimentation began in the 1970's, with the first successful X-5 super soldier produced in 1985. (If you don't have any idea about anything Dark Angel, you should be fine, though I would suggest looking into it.) Also, FYI, Vandenberg is an Air Force Base in Lompoc, California.

Disclaimer: I do not own rights to either the Stargate series or Dark Angel, but am simply borrowing their likeness for entertainment purposes only. And now... dun dun dun dun...

"Lieutenant Faith, report to General Stachiotta's office immediately." Cassidy's heart quickened upon hearing her name. She was a month fresh out of the Academy and was currently serving at Vandenberg pending further orders. There had been a few rumors that she was to be assigned quickly, but that had been a week ago, and she had heard nothing since.

As she put down the dumbbells she was working with, the too often thought she had been discovered popped into her mind. 'Don't be silly,' she thought, 'you have been free for twelve years. They haven't found you yet, nor are they going to find you.' Walking out of the gym, Cassidy turned right and headed for the elevator that would take her to the basement level that housed the general's office. The Air Force was always careful with their higher-ups. As she stepped into the car, doubts about her confidence began to surface. It was an argument she had been having with herself since the beginning. Part of her wanted to believe she would be safe forever and never have to worry about them again; the other part knew better. 'The last time you grew overconfident, you were almost caught.' The reminder caused her body to unintentionally shiver. How she had escaped their grasp in New York was still a puzzle to her, but she didn't take her luck for granted. That had been three years ago, though, and she had gone undetected since then.

Once the elevator had gone four floors down, its doors opened. Though the Air Force did go to great lengths to insure their important people were safeguarded, they had no eye for decoration. The walls were bare, saving for the yellow-painted arrows and various titles to indicate where one was. The ceiling remained unfinished, showing off instead a vast array of pipes and lines running every which way. In essence, the entire corridor was a variety of gray. Two lefts and a right later, Cassidy was standing in front of General Stachiotta's door, wondering what it was that the General wanted exactly. The suspicion that she had been found out was boiling through her veins, and she again reconsidered her having joined the Air Force. It had seemed like a good idea initially: it would provide her a place with regulations and orders, something that she had yearned since she had escaped. The difference between the Air Force and the other place was that she was allowed freedom. After having spent all the years since nine fighting to stay alive, living off the kindness of other people, a nineteen-year-old Cassidy was glad to have structure again. An image of Mama Tara wafted into her mind, causing her to grimace in remorse. Someday, they would pay for all the losses they had caused her.

Finally conjuring up enough gull, Cassidy raised her hand and knocked four times on the door, then awaited permission to enter. The door opened, surprising Cassidy. It was an unusual event for a general to open the doors himself. The rarity of it did not escape Cassidy as she slipped into attention mode and saluted the general. Her suspicions came back again and her body silently prepared itself to escape if need-be. "Second Lieutenant Cassidy Faith reporting as requested, General."

General Stachiotta nodded. "At ease, Lieutenant. Please, come in." Cassidy stepped into his office and looked around, feeling instantly calmer as she realized they were the only two in the room. She was comforted in the thought that if the situation called for it, she could defeat Stachiotta in hand-to-hand combat without breaking a sweat. But, nothing was for certain and everyone brought their own surprise into a fight. Cassidy's training, both Air Force and the other facility, reminded her not to take anything for granted as she sat down. "I was reviewing your file today, Cassidy, and remain impressed by your athletic abilities. Your course record at the academy remains yet to be beaten and your scores on your aptitude tests are striking."

Cassidy inwardly flinched at the mention of her course record. All through the academy she had intentionally not used her abilities to her benefit, in fact, she often only went a very small amount of what she was capable of. Each time she allowed herself to be beaten, her inner soldier grew angrier. If she was superior, she should be able to exhibit her talents; however, those talents would be taken notice of immediately, and she didn't feel like explaining how she had been trained to be a perfect soldier since birth until the age of nine. The day she had set the course record had been on the anniversary of Mama Tara's death, more like slaughtering, and she couldn't resist running off some of her anger. If they had been impressed by her performance on the course, they would have shat themselves when she went out later for a private work out. "Thank you, sir."

The general closed the file laying on his desk, then placed both hands over it, clasped. "I am not the only one who has taken notice of your exceptionality, Miss Faith. Today, I was contacted by General Hammond of Cheyenne Mountain with the request that you be transferred to his program."

Her mind raced. "Cheyenne Mountain. Is that not where NORAD is housed, General?"

"Excellent recall, Cassidy. Yes, that is where NORAD calls home; however, General Hammond is part of another program there. The Deep-Space Radar Telemetry program has been active for eight years now."

Cassidy raised an eyebrow. "They housed a deep-space radar program in the same mountain as NORAD?" The general nodded his head, obviously accustomed on not speculating into the Air Force's decisions. "All right, but why would they need me there, General? I have no expertise whatsoever in the field of deep-space radar. I'm afraid I'd be quite useless in that environment."

"I was not apprised in exactly what capacity you will serve there, Lieutenant."

Doubtful of the entire situation, Cassidy quickly devised an escape plan if the need came to it. Deep-space radar and NORAD in the same mountain? It was like placing the President and insurance salesman in the same room for safekeeping. Unorthodox at best. "When am I expected to deploy, sir?"

The General quickly checked a paper the file on his desk before replying. "You're not."

"Excuse me, General?"

"What I mean is, before being officially assigned to the program, you must undergo an interview with Mountain representatives. From there it will be decided if you are stationed there. The representatives are due to arrive on base within thirty minutes, giving you ample time to prepare yourself." He indicated the clothes she was wearing, and she realized that she was in her work out clothes.

'If only they were sweaty.' The thought of being able to exert herself to that point was a delicious one. Her last full workout had been months ago, having been observed too closely since. Though she was still in perfect shape, as her genetics wouldn't allow anything else, her body yearned to train like she was made to. "Right, thank you, General. Which airway are the representatives due to arrive on? I will meet them there."

"Four, Lieutenant. You are scheduled to have your meeting in Briefing Room Beta."

Cassidy raised an eyebrow. "Your private briefing room, General?"

The General nodded. "The Cheyenne Mountain representatives requested a private environment with no recording devices. All other conference rooms are tapped except for this one. Dismissed, Second Lieutenant."

Cassidy nodded obligingly, then stood up, saluted, and exited his office. Quickly, she headed once again to the elevator and went to the surface. Breaking into a jog, she headed toward the barracks which she was calling home. Apparently, the Air Force did not approve of privacy, as she had been sharing a room with sixteen other women for nearly a year now. Not that she was unaccustomed to it, as she had literally been raised with the same conditions. Group situations were definitely nothing new to her.

Using her identification badge to gain entrance to the barracks, Cassidy was again reminded of the disgusting nature of some humans. The fact that fellow soldiers would be so perverse as to actually rape one of their own was not only despicable, but an act that would be swiftly followed by death if she ever happened upon it. Cassidy casually strolled to her bunk and rummaged through her trunk. The articles of clothing she was looking for didn't take her long to find, and within minutes she had traded her black shorts and t-shirt for camouflage pants and a black tank top. She was off-duty and there was no training exercises scheduled for the day, so Cassidy couldn't find the motivation to put on her duty uniform. With the weather they were having in Vandenberg so far, her pants seemed a bit too warm for the average person. For the average perfect soldier with a wide variety of DNA, she was perfectly fine in a sweatshirt, jeans, and a winter coat on in one hundred degree weather. Cassidy often attributed that adaptation to her cheetah DNA, which also definitely helped in the running area.

After pulling her long, dark chocolate hair out of its pony tail, she did a quick run-over of her appearance before putting on her Air Force assigned boots, mandatory black, of course. Quickly, she folded her work-out clothes neatly and put them back in her trunk. With a scan of the room she was out the door and headed to Four. Cassidy nodded her head at a few of the other Air Force personnel walking about, saluting those necessary, but otherwise keeping to herself. Her Manticore training had taught her that unnecessary attachments were deadly ones. It didn't bother her that she didn't have any friends; she thought of it as protecting all of the innocent people on the base. If Manticore found out where she was they would stop at nothing to capture her, including killing off employees of the Unites States government. Another flash of Mama Tara's body caused Cassidy's face to flinch for an unnoticeable second. She had been the only human being Cassidy had allowed herself to love, and it got her killed. The thought fueled Cassidy into a slow jog, which to outsiders appeared to be a mild run. Airway Four was situated precisely two miles away from her barracks, and she made it there in eight minutes. Not even out of breath, she went into the control room to find the director on duty.

"Lieutenant, is the transport from Colorado on schedule?"

Lieutenant Watson turned around to greet the Second Lieutenant before him with lingering eyes. Cassidy was known around the base as a beautiful--though some claimed that description wasn't enough--woman. It was certainly a pleasure for Watson to be in close proximity of her, even though he was married with two kids. 'Couldn't hurt to look,' he thought to himself as he checked the flight schedule. "ETA One minute, Lieutenant. Appears you are right on time."

Cassidy nodded respectfully, remaining silent at the appraisal. It wasn't worth her time nor energy to risk her job out of something as petty as someone staring at her. Exiting the building, she stood at the end of the runway and stared at the sky. Her transgenic eyes immediately located the plane that was headed toward Four and she calculated precisely where it would stop. Walking toward that point, she smirked at the thought of having a little fun with her possibly new bosses.

A minute later, as the plane touched its wheels tentatively on the runway for the first time, it was an alarmed Major Williams that requested Colonel O'Neill to the cockpit. "Colonel, if I'm not mistaken, is that not a woman standing at the end of our runway?"

Colonel O'Neill took a hard look at the spot the plane was heading at a fast rate to and nodded his head. "What is she doing?" The question had been asked after deciding it was not any of the controllers, as they were all sporting bright orange.

"Colonel, if I don't swerve our plane off the runway, we'll hit her straight on."

The Colonel watched as the controllers took no notice of the woman standing in their path. Little did he know that they had grown accustomed to Cassidy's actions on the runway. After ten times of the same stunt, they figured she knew what she was doing. That didn't stop the bet pool from dwindling any, each controller debating which time she'd finally get hit. "She'll get out of the way, Major, continue as usual." A doubtful Jack remained in the cockpit, however, interested at the fellow officer's actions.

Major Williams hands shook as the plane drew closer to Cassidy. Fifty feet, Thirty feet, Ten feet... and just when he expected her body to splat all over his beautiful plane, the flier came to a halt, no more than a half inch from Cassidy's head. "Holy shit." Was all he could murmur before he initiated shutdown procedures. Jack didn't know whether to be impressed or pissed as he turned around and headed toward the door. Either way, he was going to meet her.

After the door had opened, however, he realized he wouldn't have to go looking for the daredevil, as she appeared at the end of the stairs. Gracefully, she slid into attention and saluted the Colonel. As Daniel came around the corner and nearly bumped Jack down the stairs, he indicated that she was to stand at ease. "Who is this, Jack?" Daniel asked the obvious question quietly as they descended from the plane.

Cassidy raised an eyebrow at the question, as her highly developed hearing had caught it, but neglected to answer. One may grow suspicious of a person who could hear that well after being so close to a plane's engines. 'Then again,' she thought, 'one may grow suspicious of someone being able to hear that well at all.'

"That was a pretty dumb stunt, Miss."

"And this coming from a man who does some pretty dumb stuff everyday." Daniel's side comment did not go unnoticed to Jack, though he refused to reply. Daniel enjoyed the moment of silence by slipping a glance at the daredevil, who seemed to him to be one of the most perfect specimens of women he had seen in a long time, perhaps had ever seen. Every inch of her permeated with beauty, causing him to draw the conclusion that her creation had taken much longer than his own. Then again, his hormones were raging after having gone all this time without Share', his beautiful wife. After another stolen glance, he redirected his attention to Jack, who was taking too much time staring at a file he had been studying at for the past hour.

Cassidy decided that she would have to be the one to exchange pleasantries. "Actually, my name is Second Lieutenant Cassidy Faith and I believe it is me whom you flew all the way from Colorado to see. General Stachiotta generously allowed us use of his personal briefing room, so if you'll follow me..."

Colonel O'Neill delivered Cassidy a hard amused stare before stepping forward to indicate his willingness to allow her to lead. She certainly was crazy enough to take risks, a quality he felt the SGC program needed more of in their soldiers. Already, he felt a kinship with the girl. But, stupidity was definitely not something they needed at the mountain either. The required chastising that came with his rank would come later in the briefing room; until then, he would enjoy a few minutes of figuring out how the hell she designated the exact spot the plane would come to a stop at.

The three made quite a trio walking into the building that housed the general's conference room, appropriately located on the third level. Here was the Colonel, definitely not a new officer on the block; Cassidy, the beautiful, young Second Lieutenant; and Daniel, the civilian archaeologist. A few sideways stares told Jack he wasn't the only one who had noticed the oddity of it all, but he continued to go without speaking, allowing the elevator to taken the three levels underground before opening. "It is down the hall, three rights, two lefts, and one right." Cassidy explained as she continued to lead, having nothing else interesting to say.

Sure enough, her instructions had been perfect and they gained entry to the conference room with Cassidy's badge, which had been allowed access to the room only once within the ten minute timeframe. As soon as Daniel had closed the door, she gestured around. "The General informed me this room has no devices whatsoever that could capture our conversation, as per your request."

"Of course, but you'll excuse me if I have a quick look around." Cassidy noddeddismissively and stood aside as Jack removed a locater wand from the black briefcase he had been carrying. As he swept the room for any bugs or cameras, Cassidy's mind raced in theories as to why so much precaution was being taken for deep space telemetry. One may think that there were aliens involved or something. The preposterous thought nearly caused Cassidy to crack a smile. Nearly.

As if reading Cassidy's thoughts, Daniel answered her question for her. "We at DSRT like to keep low profiles as well as utmost secrecy regarding our program."

Jack finished up and placed his tool back in its appropriate place. "You're not military." It was an observation and not a question.

As Daniel opened his mouth, Jack shook his head. He always knew Danny-boy stuck out like a sore thumb, but then again, lately he had assumed it was just him. SG-1's prized archaeologist was certainly becoming more proficient at military operations and living. "No, he is a civilian specialist with our program."

Cassidy's eyes narrowed immediately in suspicion. "What is it exactly you specialize in?"

"Archaeology and Ancient Languages... for the most part." Daniel suddenly became increasingly distracted at the newest perfection had found on the girl: her glare.

Just when Jack thought the girl couldn't look anymore angry, she surprised him. "I see. And Colonel, would you care to explain what an archaeologist does with Deep Space Radar Telemetry?"

"No." His question infuriated Cassidy even more, but she struggled to channel her anger through a calm exterior. It was no time to lose her head, especially if these two were Manticore operatives. "Lieutenant Faith, if you'll have a seat and sign these non-disclosure forms I have with me, we'll be able to answer all your questions and more."

Cassidy complied with his order, strangely walking behind both men before strategically taking the seat nearest to the door. It provided two means of superiority: if she needed to escape, her genetically enhanced movement would have her out the door before they could take notice or if they wanted to escape, she could blockade the door before they had the chance. She took comfort in the thought that neither men were of Manticore creation, as indicated by the lack of barcodes on their neck, but that certainly didn't mean they didn't work for the evil corporation. Both Daniel and Jack took seats facing each other at the table and next to Cassidy before Jack slid her the large stack of papers.

"If you'd like to read through all of them before you sign them, you are more than welcome, but I'd be more than happy to provide you with the Reader's Digest version." Cassidy stared him down silently, which Jack took as an indication to go ahead. "If you repeat any of what we're about to tell you, you will become America's Most Wanted."

Cassidy raised an eyebrow at the underlined threat, then quickly scrawled her name. She stared at her signature and was reminded of a time she had been only referred to as X5-454. That was a long time ago, though, and she hadn't heard those numbers since her run-in with Zack six years ago, shortly after the murder of her foster mother. Cassidy picked up the papers and tossed them in Jack's general direction, who simply noted her signature then slipped them off to the side.

Daniel opened the file he had been carrying, mimicked by Jack's doing the same, and quietly read over a few paragraphs before looking up again, debating whether he or Jack would take the lead. He knew from experience Jack wasn't exactly the best at diplomacy, and General Hammond had stressed that this girl was a high priority for the SGC. "You seem to have impressed quite a few people with your abilities, Miss Faith."

Cassidy switched her attention to Daniel, who immediately regretted the choice to speak first. "I seem to have been told that quite often these days."

"Course record at the Academy, extensive knowledge of all weapons, excellent academic records... overall, a commendable service for a twenty-one-year-old fresh out of the Academy, Lieutenant." Jack's compliment did not go unnoticed to Cassidy, who had been trained to respect the opinions of her superiors. In the Air Force, it had been lectured into them; At Manticore, they had other means. "I notice here you also trained with a Black Ops Unit for six weeks out of your stay at the Academy. That is a rare privilege, indeed. I hear they only take five cadets every two years."

"Actually, Colonel, it's two cadets every five years and only one previously has been a woman."

Jack nodded, not at all surprised by the information. "How were those conditions for you? Officers who have served overseas have dropped out due to the grueling conditions of Black Ops training."

Cassidy simply shrugged. It was the closest she had come to Manticore training, though far more civilized and less intense. Those six weeks had been like heaven to her underused muscles. "I survived and was thankful for the opportunity."

"You have several recommendations from instructors, your leader in the Black Ops unit, and General Stachiotta, as well, Lieutenant. It seems you have impressed quite a few people."

"I do what I am told and to the best of my ability." The lie rolled off Cassidy's tongue easily. If she had performed to the best of her ability, she would not be wasting her time with two men representing a program referred to oddly by a word that was synonymous with 'dessert'. No, if she had exhibited her true abilities, she had a feeling that she would be either a lab being dissected or being shown off as the Air Force's super soldier.

Jack folded his arms. "It would seem like you are perfect candidate for our program, then, Lieutenant. Provided you accept, of course."

"If you'll excuse my bluntness, Colonel, what talents do I have that would be of benefit to a Space Radar program? As I'm sure you have seen, I majored in Command, Psychological Warfare, and Military Theory at the Academy. I am not correlating any of those with radar."

Daniel stared at the two Air Force officers for a second, debating whether to ask his question. "Military Theory?"

Cassidy and Jack spoke in unison. "Required for Command Major. Speculation in various team formations, as well as extensive study into military history and use of current and future weapons in situations." They looked at each other after finished reciting the Air Force Academy Handbook.

"Right." Daniel decided immediately that Jack had taken the same class at the Academy, because that type of information was definitely not available from the Simpsons. "Miss Faith, I believe it is time for Jack and I to tell you the real program that calls Cheyenne Mountain home."Cassidy feigned interest, though her senses were all telling her to be careful. Any mention of Manticore or genetic manipulation and she was out of there.

"The Stargate Command is a multi-billion dollar project that specializes in the pursuit of interplanetary exploration via a device called the Stargate. Officially, our goal is to acquire technology that can defend earth from alien invasion, but we also have reached out diplomatically with other races to form several allies against one common enemy: The Goa'uld. Stargate Command has been in operation for eight years now. There are sixteen teams within the Stargate program, all of each comprised of both military personnel and civilian consultants. Jack and I belong to SG-1, an exploration team. We have two other team members as well, though both are off-world at the moment."

"Make that twenty-four, Danny." The Colonel's reference to the twenty-three languages Daniel spoke caused the two to crack a smile, both aware Jack was referring to 'techno babble' as the twenty-forth. Jack studied Cassidy's face for any hint of surprise. He had only gone on one other recruitment trip, and the Captain had laughed his head off until he realized no one else was laughing, at which time he grew silent for a full hour before asking Sam to repeat everything she had just said. That thought amused Jack as the contemplative Cassidy absorbed the information she had just been given.

'Aliens and a porthole to other universes! These guys must think I'm crazy!' Cassidy's mind raced at the possibilities. 'Then again, if I told them I was a genetically enhanced super soldier that has been trained from birth by a corporation who hoped to sell us to the highest bidder, I'm sure they'd accept that idea with their morning coffee as well.'

"I know this is a lot to take in, Miss Faith. Yes, aliens are real. Yes, we can travel to other worlds. It may be hard to believe at first, but I can assure you what we are saying is true."

Cassidy monitored Daniel discretely and realized he was giving off no indications of lying. "How did this Stargate come into our possession?" Cassidy asked the intuitive question after deciding she'd believe the two men for now.

"It was discovered by accident by Dr. Langford during an archaeological digin the fifties. No one knew how it worked or what exactly it did until the boy genius here came into the picture. Aside from that, the Goa'uld once inhabited this planet and used humans as hosts. That was way back when, we're talking ancient Egypt here. There was a revolt and the gate was buried."

Studying Jack in the same way she had studied Daniel, she realized he was telling the truth as well. "The Dr. Jackson who once speculated that the pyramids were built by aliens?"

"Yes, I'm surprised that you-"

Cassidy quickly interrupted. "Had a friend that was interested in archaeology back when. You're presumed to be in hiding after the widespread public academic rejection for your claims, Doctor." She couldn't tell them that she had studied his findingswhile trying to figure out just how far back Manticore claimed its roots.They did not just want super soldiers, they wanted genius super soldiers. Sometimes, Cassidy felt like a sponge with all the information she was able to retain. "You said hosts, Colonel." It was a question, but worded as a statement.

Daniel nodded, taking the lead again. "The Goa'uld are parasitic beings who require human forms in order to remain alive. Once inside the body, the Goa'uld attach themselves to the brain stem and spinal cord."

"So that they are able to control motor functions?"

Jack nodded at Cassidy's guess. "The snakes take possession of the body, though the hosts mind remains intact. It's a lot like watching a movie for the host: they can't do anything about what their body is doing."

"So, these beings are superior to ourselves?"

"No, the Goa'uld are not technically superior to us, as exhibited by the number of times we have defeated them. The technology they have in their possession, though far beyond anything we have on Earth, has all been stolen from one race or another spanning the universe. The Stargate System itself was built by the Ancients."

Cassidy sat back in her chair and thought some more. "You spoke of allies."

"Two most notable ones are the Asgard and Tok'ra. The Asgard are superior to the Goa'uld in terms of technology, and though Earth is in within their protective planets, they are a dying race as they cannot reproduce and are currently involved in a war with the Replicators, artificial intelligence machines. The Tok'ra have been an underground movement against the Goa'uld for quite some time now, with little success. It is no wonder as they are pompous, stuck-up beings."

"Jack has had a few negative run-ins with the Tok'ra."

Cassidy nodded after Daniel stated the obvious. "Though this fairy tale is all well and good, I am still confused as to what capacity it is that I am to serve in the SGC."

"General Hammond took notice of your remarkable skills and requested that you be recruited for SG-10. You will be second in command under Colonel Mason."

Cassidy's attention was fixated on the 'second in command' part of the line. It was an honor indeed to be accepted for a 2IC at only Second Lieutenant. One that she would have a hard time turning down. "I take it I don't get a couple of weeks to get over the fact that I think you are both delusional?"

Jack shook his head. "You have precisely five minutes before we are due to report back to our plane. That time is all yours."

Jack and Daniel stood up and walked out of the conference room, closing the door behind them. Cassidy listened intently for a second, only to realize the room was sound proof. She had already made her decision, but decided it would be appropriate for the two men to discuss their observations. "So, what do you think, Jack?"

Jack thought for a moment about the girl who was young enough to be his daughter. "Reminds me of myself. She'll do it."

Daniel nodded in agreement. "She is far more reserved that other officers we have presented this to."

"Hell, Daniel, she was far more reserved than some officers who went through the gate and experienced the snakes firsthand."

"No wonder General Hammond was practically salivating over her. She seems like a perfect candidate for the job."

Jack nodded in agreement. He had already discussed with the General his thoughts on her before embarking on the trip. Jack had even gone so far as to make a move to have her added to SG-1, though he liked the way his small group worked as it was now, it could not hurt to have a soldier like Cassidy under his direct command. But, Hammond had pointed out that Jack already had the pick of the litter and being as the SGC depended heavily on SG-1's activities, it would be appropriate to have another team that could take over the flagship position if necessary.

"I'll do it." Cassidy said simply as soon as the door opened. Both men turned around and issued Cassidy their informal welcomes.

"You have only ten minutes to get your belongings, then I'm afraid we need to leave."

"That worried about me going and telling a friend, are you?"

Jack shrugged. "Never can be too careful, Lieutenant."

Cassidy nodded in agreement. "Well, in any case, I'm ready."

"No personal effects you need to get your hands on, Cassidy? Once you're in the mountain, you won't be leaving for quite some time, I'm afraid."

Shaking her head in the negative, Cassidy began strolling for the elevator. "I'm not a big one for having a bunch of belongings. All I needare my dog tags anyway, everything else is Air Force issue." The two men followed behind, wondering if they were going to solve the mystery of their new recruit, but deciding that was best saved for another day. For now, they had to get her into Cheyenne Mountain and introduced to General Hammond.

Jack paused before the elevator doors opened, suddenly remembering his duty as a colonel. "By the way, Lieutenant, that stunt you pulled earlier was irresponsible and stupid."

Cassidy stared intently at him for a moment. "And I bet you wish that you knew how to do it."

"Hell yes."