"I didn't, ma'am. Some of these boys have been out here for a full six months, and you've brought some friends that might still be impressed by a helpful fella in a uniform." Freud wasn't right about everything, and the things he had been right about weren't fully 24/7, but when it came to an average day in a relatively civilized population he hadn't been wrong either. It all came back to sex, more often than not. It made men and women alike do stupid things. He had two ex-wives to prove it. But all the same, Taft saluted Fia. "Welcome to Fort Long March, I hereby formally hand over command, ma'am." He crisply finished the salute in the Marine style and stood at parade rest (which was practically the same as a leaning against a fence post in the unbending world of the Taft family).

He looked across the rest of the gathering, recognizing several familiar faces. Several of which were combat tested and proven in his eyes. He gave them minute nods as he moved through his scan. And then a massive figure waved at him from atop the ramp. "Where in the devil did you find Goliath?" He poked the brim of his boonie up with one finger as he asked the question while regarding the guy. The quartermasters were gonna have a heart-attack over feeding him, clothing him, and there wasn't a cot on the planet that could contain him... they'd have to sew three blankets together just to keep him warm at night. "What does he do, hold up bridges?" The river was relatively shallow, owing to its width, they hadn't built a bridge yet. Might be a fun project, actually.

Fia returned the salute instinctively, as she had with Airman Torngate. "Thank you, Sergeant Major. I have no doubt you've kept the place well prepared." She nodded, tactically accepting command of the base. This was a pretty big step for her. While a command of this size was nothing new it had always been within the framework of Stargate Command. Most off-world command positions she had held had been mission based and only several weeks in length. This was twice that. Six weeks to lay the foundation and initiate some of the projects the General had outlined. Not a vacation, that was for sure.

She didn't have to turn to know who Taft was speaking of. "That would be Doctor Trahourn, He's going to be our resident zoologist. He'll have the last say as to if we are bringing livestock here or not, though I am sure a bridge or two is not beyond him. There are a few other assignments General Hammond tasked me with, it's going to be a busy six weeks." Just the way she liked it...

"Alright folks," Fia turned and addressed those gathered. "Base is just under two and a half clicks that way, when you get there you will be assigned quarters. Take the evening to settle in and get familiar with the base, I expect you all to be ready and rearing to go first thing in the morning. We've got a lot to do." She made a point to look at every face, meet every gaze, as she spoke. These people were her responsibility for the next six weeks, she wasn't going to let them down. A quick nod, and she turned and started down the path. She had studied the planetary survey as well as the area maps. With that Fia could probably have found her way in the pitch black of night, which didn't happen here anyhow.

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After a couple of minutes, the team and all the provisions made it through from the midpoint, and Claire heard the schlup of the wormhole collapsing behind her. She knew it wouldn't be long - maybe a day or two - before the staff they'd come to relieve would make their way back to earth for a few weeks at least, and then, for the duration of their posting, the only times the route back to earth would be open was when provisions or information needed to go back and forth. The aim was for the experience to be as close as possible to being cut off from home, and she supposed this place was as good as any to create that world.

The assembled group was eclectic, to say the least, which was something that Claire was grateful for. Too many military, and it would become nothing but an exercise; too many civilians, and everyone would be so busy navel gazing that no real collaborative work would get done.

Fia gave the order to move out, and Claire hefted her pack onto her back again, even as Meredith proclaimed this place "home". She smiled, her eyes a million light years away. Literally. "We'll see," she said, her voice soft. Atlantis was her home, strictly speaking, and she wasn't going to be away from it for too much longer. Just another few months, and she and Caleb would be headed back there. "How've you been," she asked the soldier. "What's the gossip since I've been away?"

Ruth looked around the assembled group, and spotted a few people she knew. There were a couple who had recently come back from Atlantis, a few people she didn't recognise at all, but everyone else was relatively familiar. She was still feeling a little embarrassed at having almost been too late to make the trip, though. She already had a reputation for being somewhat ditzy - albeit undeserved - as people misinterpreted her excitability for flakiness, so she didn't want to get a reputation for being late as well.

However, at least she was familiar with the semi-military protocol she would be expected to follow. One of the new guys - a monster of a man - seemed to be a little deficient in that department at the moment, waving to Taft as he talked with Major Serigliano. Ruth was stood close enough to talk to the guy, although making herself heard at his altitude without shouting would be a challenge.

"New to the SGC," she asked, her eyebrows twitching up in a friendly smile. She was certain he must be; she wouldn't forget someone like that wandering around the base.

It felt like he was waiting around for a long time, until he heard the Stargate close behind him, after the last person had come through. It was just as distinct, as promising a sound as when it opened, when it shut off that was when everything started, that's when the tingle of adventure would creep up his back. It was no different this time, maybe there was less thinking of something going wrong this time, but that small frisson that told him this was new, shiny and yes once they'd reached there destination it would be somewhere new that he could explore. Within reason of course. He was still military at the end of the day, no matter how much he actually wanted to just wonder off and see what was so different about this place to everything else.

Of course there was one big noticeable difference and that was the two suns in the sky, something that he knew the planet had – everyone or at least he hoped everyone had read the folder on that the higher ups had put together for them – and was kind of wishing the sunglasses weren't packed quite to the bottom of his pack now. To be honest he hadn't exactly expected it to be afternoon when they arrived, it wasn't something he had thought about when stepping through two Stargates, and not something he had thought to ask either.

So he watched as the rest of the group came through, it was obvious as to who had worked together, known each other, etc, as people tended to gravitate to one another more. It was something that had happened more on Atlantis, than back on Earth, but Caleb could see it now, now they were officially on the Beta site, the new team to carry on for the next six weeks. He himself just nodded to whatever friendly face glanced his way, he knew there was nothing to worry about at such (there definitely weren't going to be any life force sucking aliens jumping out at them any time soon, which he was grateful for), but even so, there was a small part of him that didn't really relax. Wouldn't really relax until they got the place they would be staying.

When he heard Major Serigliano talk, he turned his attention to her, he'd not really had much to do with the Major outside of the odd greeting as they'd passed each other. It was someone new to look forward to working with, he was sure he'd get along with her just fine. There wasn't that many people Caleb didn't get along with after all and he made sure not to piss off the higher ups.

Finally he picked up his own pack again, having rested it at his feet whilst the rest of the people had come through the Gate, hefted it onto his back (regretted bringing as much as he had in that moment), before bringing up the rear of the group. It wasn't ordered, there had not been any order given for him to do so, it was just kind of natural instinct, especially with so many civilians with them. Something that had seemed to become a bit of second nature since working on Atlantis, all civilians in the middle, which meant he normally ended up at the back of whatever group. Besides being at the back, meant he got to watch people as they meandered their way to the camp and if anyone fell behind for whatever reason. He could at least give them a hand, he wasn't adverse to picking up an extra pack or two if someone was struggling.

[P5X-088]

Chris looked up as people started to move out, and trotted over from where he had been to join the main group, falling in toward the rear but not as sweep. As he hurried over his footsteps were a bit heavier than usual, the weight of his pack adding to his weight. Thankfully nothing metal was loose, or he would have sounded like a drum set having a stroke. He rejoined the group, and looked around, a star-struck expression still on his face.

He followed the group, although he realized he could simply stare up at the stars or down at the fauna and keep in line with the rest of the group just by listening to the boisterous noise of the large man... 'Mississippi', was his name? Regardless he enjoyed this far too much to be paying attention to any particular thing. He kept pace with the group, his hands just itching to get out and explore.

The Gate had barely closed its watery well, before the order to march had been given, evidently everyone had made it through with the right number of bits and bobs, and all carry-on luggage was present and accounted for. After dozens of trips through the Gate, it was easier to think of it as alien airline travel, except without having to sit next to a random, or those plastic airline meals. Almost made it worth getting broken down into your constituent parts and flung half way to heck and back.

Picking her pack back up, Mere offered the Doc a small smile, “Home is where the heart it, and I believe yours is just over there” Starting to feel a little less like over worked taffy, and more like herself as she breathed in the fresh air, Mere was almost looking forward to a nearly 3 click walk. Shared accommodation wasn’t going to bother her, years of service and she could sleep on the dirt whilst the mariachi played … as long as no one snored!

Shifting her pack around to her hip, Mere pulled sunglasses from the side pocket, and slid them up the bridge of her nose till they sat firm in front her eyes. The polarised glass instantly cut out the brightness, and Mere was thankful she’d remembered to pack them, the paperwork had said two suns, and between the shades and the sunscreen, she was hoping to not come back darker than gravy.

Moving the back pack to its rightful place, and giving a little hop to shift the load evenly, Mere started to move in the direction of the convoy to base, keeping close to Claire so they could continue their chat

“Everything dandy with me, nothings fallen off and I ain’t be shot at in a while, so there’s a bonus! Can’t say there are been any major gossip, well there have been a couple of hook ups, one of which resulting in a punch up, and Sgt Anders, the one with the mole who likes to chew his coffee, well his wife had a healthy girl, so he’s been on cloud 9 – What about you … I heard Atlantis is nice, great views, rowdy neighbours?”

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"You'll shoot him, I'll save him, they'll question him and everyone goes home happy"

((Meredith - moving to a new thread))