September 15th, 14:00

The briefing room, its broad windows overlooking the gateroom, was a second home to anyone who was regularly placed in an SG unit. Its long, polished table looked as good today as it did when it was installed over three years ago, not even a fingerprint marring its surface. The room was caped in silence, but it was the charged silence of anticipation. The General had not yet left his office, and the blinds on the window were closed, but he fully expected the selected team to be present promptly so that he could begin this incredibly sensitive briefing.

Sgt Major Taft came through the door first because when the general said immediately Taft took that to mean he should have been on his way before the message arrived. He was in his base fatigues and immediately found a seat by the head of the table where he would be sitting on Hammond's left. He wasn't always the team lead but he was often enough the highest ranked person in the room that he was willing to risk the second position after the right hand seat. He sat stock upright and in a formal position while waiting, only checking his watch once to compare it to the clock on the wall just to be sure neither was losing time on him.

Pulling up her zipper of her uniform, Sofia walked towards the briefing room. It has been a year that she had been reinstated into active duty. A year, wherein she saw what the world was up against in the galaxy beyond a stargate. Sofia had been assigned as team sniper in various combat mission and sometimes assigned as diplomat towards new cultures or species.

Entering the room quite calm and rested she eyed the Sergeant Major and gave a nod towards him "bonne journée (Good Day) Sergeant Major" she said friendly as she sat on the other side of him, so the right side of Hammond's spot. Sofia did not had the pleasure to work with the Sergeant yet, but she was open to anyone willing to preform his/her duties towards planet Earth.

Looking at her side not seeing General Hammond due the blinds on the window, most likely doing the final stuff before starting the briefing. She nodded softly to herself and turned back towards the Sergeant Major giving a friendly smile as placed her hands over each other.

Taft brought his eyebrows together as he heard what seemed like a slurred set of words to him, emitted with a French accent (which totally explained the slurring sound) and then nodded to the officer as she came along. "Bonnet journal to you too, ma'am." He remained in his seat and watched as she assumed the one for the highest ranking officer after the General. Maybe she was right. Wasn't worth second guessing at this point, not yet. "Sergeant Major Taft, David A., United States Marine Corp Marine Recon. You hear that SG-13's late for return? I'm betting that's why I'm here, ma'am." Marine Recon was known for going in blind, going in hot, and coming back with the objective complete, after all.

Well, that, or letting the army occupy and beautify after Recon had assaulted and acquired. Either way, lots of pew pew. That made him curious what the lady in front of him did. "Ma'am, if you don't mind me asking, what do you do?"

"Sergeant Major Taft, David A., United States Marine Corp Marine Recon. You hear that SG-13's late for return? I'm betting that's why I'm here, ma'am."

Sofia blinks her eyes as she taught about the team function "SG-13, well they are known for their cover operations that take some time" she pointed out. SG-13 did allot of cover ops missions the past few months and it was quite normal for them to be gone for quite some time. Wondering where the rest of the team members were for this assignment, she noticed the Sergeant Major asking another question.

"Ma'am, if you don't mind me asking, what do you do?"

"Mmm, Lieutenant d'Aufai, Sofia, France Commando de Montfort. I am assigned towards the SGC for diversity in assignments. Think about diplomacy or sniper duties, that would be me" Sofia gave again a soft smile towards the Sergeant Major "I wonder where the other members are for this assignment"

"I wouldn't say they are known for it, their primary profile is survey. That wasn't their assignment either, so far as my clearance reaches. However, this could be completely unrelated." He checked his watch again. The team not coming back at the scheduled time had upset a poker game that had been scheduled amongst some of the lower enlisted ranks in the bunk rooms. That was enough to make Taft feel that something was out of sorts. Nobody was tight lipped enough to schedule something they weren't going to be able to attend to cover for a black op. Nobody.

Taft stifled a trained response at the term french commando and just nodded until the last bit of the introduction. "I've read the name, but I don't recall anything about diplomacy in your dossier. Not to mention snipers, in my large and varied experience, don't have the proper.... what's a good word... socialization? Yeah, snipers don't have the proper socialization for diplomacy." They killed people. Worse, they watched people for extended periods of time -before- killing them. You got to know a target through the scope, learned what kind of person they were, and then no matter what you'd learned good or bad, you put a bullet through them. That wasn't the kind of empathy that one wanted at a meeting table.

Loose muscled, and wide awake, Meredith was freshening up from her work out when the summons made its way to her. Lacing her boots, and ensuring her fatigues were presentable, she double timed it to the briefing room, slowing her pace enough to prevent from bursting through the door.

Taking stock the occupants already assembled, Mere addressed the familiar first, keeping it brief as not to interrupt their introductions, “Sergeant Major” she nodded her head and took a seat to his left, leaving a free seat between them for personal space allowances.

Settling into the chair, she retained an alert posture, and directed her attention at the tall figure across from her, “Ma’am”. She looked familiar, but not someone she’d had the chance to serve with as of yet.

The stranger announced her title, and Mere made a note of it. She’d heard there was a French Commander from idle talk over the card table, Mere had pictured someone quite different, but there you go, she wasn’t here to make assumptions.

She quirked a small smile at the Taft’s astute observations over the people skills of a sniper and quickly wiped her face back to neutrality, he made a fair point, but damned if Mere was going to say that out loud.

“I’m unsure who else has been invited Ma’am” She addressed the commander directly, keeping her tone passive but firm, “I also don’t believe I’ve had the chance to work with you, Staff Sergeant Blake, US Army “ Succinct and to the point as all formal address should be.

She slipped back into silence, waiting to see who else was coming and waiting to see why they were all here.

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

Giving a nod towards the new member entering the room Sofia looked back at the Sergeant Major

"I've read the name, but I don't recall anything about diplomacy in your dossier. Not to mention snipers, in my large and varied experience, don't have the proper.... what's a good word... socialization? Yeah, snipers don't have the proper socialization for diplomacy."

She blinked her eyes a few times and let her smile fade away "A fair point monsieur (Mr) Taft, I am not really the social type and that makes me a fairly good sniper or recon marine. But I come from a family with nobility where my father was a diplomat towards many countries. I learned a great deal from him and thus I am using my skills as diplomacy in the field"

“I’m unsure who else has been invited Ma’am”

Sofia hums a bit in agreement towards the medic that mate her point, as she leans backwards and wait for the meeting to start.

Hammond could hear the dull chatter of voices in the briefing room, and he flipped the folder shut, before sliding it across the desk to the soldier who was sat opposite him. "Read through it, make sure you're happy," he said, pushing himself to stand. "I'm going to go and settle the rest of your team, come on through once you're done. If you've got any questions, I'll answer them during the briefing." He made his way around the desk, taking the time to clap his hand on the soldier's shoulder as he headed out into the briefing room.

"Ladies and gentleman, let's get down to business," he said, taking his seat at the head of the table, casting a quick glance at the chosen seating arrangements. Unorthodox, for sure, especially as the seat to his right was traditionally kept for the highest ranking personnel in the briefing. Hammond narrowed his eyes for a second, letting his gaze pass over d'Aufai, Taft and Blake for a second. "Lieutenant, move into the space between Sergeants Taft and Blake," he said, his voice not even a bit annoyed at having to correct this breach in protocol. "Lieutenant, I don't know how they do it where you come from, but a Sergeant Major technically outranks a Lieutenant, and, as such, Sergeant Taft was the ranking officer before I came into the room. Please remember that for future reference, and, if you feel that you need a refresher in which ranks are your superiors, please make some time to go see Major Davies."

This seating reshuffle had left the seat directly to his right vacant, something which Hammond appeared to ignore as he clasped his hands on the table in front of him, leaning forwards and making eye contact with the three soldiers to his left. "I don't want to waste time, and the briefing packs will be with us shortly, but time is of the essence, people. SG-13 are four hours late returning from a survey on P8X-873, and it is our intention to send in a team to locate, make contact with, and, if possible retrieve them." He cast icy blue eyes at the three, his face etched with worry before his eyes settled on Sergeant Major Taft. "What do you know about P8X-873, Sergeant?"

Taft gave the other Sergeant a nod when she came in and acknowledged him by rank. He'd been around Blake a few times and like most of his fellow Sergeants he found her absolutely tolerable to work with. She didn't salute him, which was appropriate seeing as she was from a completely different branch of the military even if they technically worked for the same nation.

"Name's Sergeant Major Taft, I didn't join my beloved Corp to be called 'man-sewer'." He pointed, casually, at the ridiculous number of chevrons and rockers on his upper arm. "My daddy drove big rigs after his medical discharge, doesn't qualify me for a Class C license..." Taft snapped to attention when the door opened, standing and saluting to the air in front of him as he barked "OFFICER ON DECK!" Taft then immediately seated himself when Hammond said lets get to business. A general didn't have to salute anybody but other generals and the suit in that big house on Pennsylvania Avenue.

"Little off the top of my head. Temperate, humid, forested, and occupied... under dispute if I remember correctly, sir. I believe the standing order was to sit back and observe until the situation developed." Taft was hoping he had the right world in mind, the number system had never really worked for mental reference for him.