Chapter 19

Garina

ODA-328 was on site. The Special Forces alpha team had arrived thirty hours earlier. Their digital pattern camouflage uniforms blended seamlessly into the heavily wooded environment. Covering their faces was matching pattern spandoflage smocks in place of the facial paint that had historically been used. While the Hammond could detect the alpha team from orbit with their advanced sensors, the odds of detection on the ground both visually and thermally were low.

The Genii training camp on this world had been hit previously. Due to that an increase in patrols was noted from orbit. The alpha team once on the ground avoided the opposition while navigating their way to a ridge overlooking the camp. Slowly and methodically the American soldiers picked their footing with an emphasis on stealth. With their weapons at the ready the highly trained special operations team arrived at their preselected over watch point. From this vantage, the entire camp in the valley below could be surveilled. Quietly three members of the eight man team began emplacing claymore mines with motion sensors, toe popper mines small enough to only remove a foot, and seismic sensors to detect approaching troops around their perimeter.

"Hammond, this is Rattler Six. We are in position and are commencing phase one, over" said the team commander.

"Rattler Six, this is Hammond. Acknowledge last. Phase one is a go. Hammond out." replied Colonel Samantha Carter.

The ground teams surveillance sergeant began setting up his gear for phase one. From his rucksack and the team's demolitions sergeant's ruck two laser microphones were removed. The laser microphone was a piece of gear the team had used many times in the past. When in operation the laser mic fired a harmless and invisible beam of light. Normally this beam was targeted at a structures window so conversation within could be overheard. Once targeted on a window the laser measured the vibrations of the glass created by sound waves within the building. These measurements were fed into a laptop, which using a simple mathematical algorithm transformed the data back into sounds. This technique did away with the need to infiltrate a compound and implant listening devices exposing the team to the possibility of danger and detection.

The two-laser mic's were targeted on the command building; one at the window of the receiving room, and the other at the window of the camp commander's officer seven meters to the left of the first window. Instantly data began transfer to the laptop. Intelligence officers on Atlantis would review the audio files upon ODA-328's return. For seventy two hours the team silently gathered this information.

"Rattler Six, this is Hammond. We are initiating phase two. Hammond out. Communications officer signal the Odyssey, they are clear to beam the Stargate back down to the Genii home world now." said Carter.

In a brilliant flash of light the Stargate and DHD appeared in the Genii compound. From the alpha teams vantage point they could see the panicked activity of the enemy troops. A handful of more senior Genii soldiers came to view the gate before quickly moving to the command building. It was the Tauri hope that the return of the gate would spur on conversation among the Genii commanders of the camp providing intel the laser mic systems would record. While this was happening a lone Genii soldier dialed the gate and was transported to his home world. Within the command building how to proceed was being discussed.