Episode Seven - McManus & Hopper's Story

[Andrew McManus]

Unknown Time
Etruscan Cells
K3X-779, Eros
Triangulum Galaxy

Andrew McManus slowly came too and pushed himself up off the floor of the cell. He rubbed the back of his head and felt a small lump forming where they'd struck him this time, dried blood crusted in his beard. These warriors were a little rougher than usual. He pulled himself up onto the bench and examined the gloomy cell, lit only by a few candle lanterns hanging on the walls outside the large iron gates that formed the only entrance and exit to their cold abode. There were a few others in here, a rag tag bunch of usurpers. He smiled. That was the reason he was here. McManus had been doing this for a few months now since his exile from Meropis. One prison cell to another, he'd get captured, he'd rally some followers and spring his way out killing as many Etruscans as he could on the way through. McManus was raising an army. An army of freedom fighters. Little did he know that his next stop on the tour of Triangulum would bring a surprise with it.

The clanking of chains heralded the opening of the cell, McManus raised his head to eye the new arrival. Two of the hulking alien brain-washed Etruscan brutes were dragged another figure between them and cast him into the cell as if he were a piece of garbage. The figure, it was a human male, looked a little worse for wear. He'd just been brought back from some sort of torture room. As the man pulled himself up to a sitting position the lanterns caught the edge of his face. McManus frowned. He looked a little longer. No, it couldn't be. This changed everything.
"H... Hopper?" He asked.

<tag Thomas Hopper>

[Thomas Hopper]

Hopper was pacing around his cell, trying to find a means of escape. So far, he had found none. There had to be something, though. A minor weakness in the wall. A loose bar. Anything. If there was, though, Thomas could not find it. And he had been at it for two days already.

Then the outer doors of the brig opened, and half a dozen of the alien bastards came striding in. They had learnt after the first time that a pair of them wasn’t enough to keep him down. One of them opened the gate to his cell, and two of them stormed in with shockers. One of them hit the Lieutenant, who in turn slumped down out of consciousness.

When he awoke, he was seated in a chair. His legs were tied to the chair’s legs, while his hands were tied behind its back. He looked around. There were the six aliens, forming something of a horseshoe around him. Two more guards had joined, but they looked human. They were standing one at each flank. And finally there was someone who was definitely human seated in front of him.

”Ah! You’re awake! How good of you to join us!” he exclaimed with visible glee. Hopper could not quite grasp why this man was so happy. Though he assumed it had something to do with his being tied up. ”Let’s start, then, shall we? An easy one. Who are you?” the man said, still smiling.

The man stood up. Hopper looked in his face and said ”None of your damn business”. The man was not happy, and with a flick of his wrist the two men at his flanks each hit him in the face.

”You wish to be like that? Fine then. I will call you ‘Steve’ from now on.” the man said. Hopper showed no reaction. He had been extensively trained to resist interrogation, and this wasn’t his first rodeo.

”Now, then, Steve. Where do you come from?” the guy asked. Hopper looked him in the eye and said ”Your mom” he said as he braced himself for the inevitable hits he was about the receive. The man again flicked his wrist and several punches hit the Lieutenant.

The interrogation went on like that for a couple hours, before the man stormed out of the room in anger. He had lost his composure, and had been unable to get an answer out of this human wearing the strange uniform.

The six guards dragged Hopper back to his cell, and threw him into the rearmost wall, making sure that the new occupant saw it as well. The guards left, and the other man spoke up. He said Hopper’s name, probably to confirm it was really him.

The Lieutenant spent a bit to wipe away the blood off his face with his shirt and then looked up. ”McManus… Y’know. I died during that stunt of yours.”

[Andrew McManus]

The man opposite Andy McManus was most certainly wearing a Meropis off-world operational uniform, even if it was blood soaked and torn in several places, the patches were unmistakable. He watched as his former colleague wiped his face and confirmed his identity to the rogue Scotsman,
”McManus… Y’know. I died during that stunt of yours.”
Hopper had said. For a moment, McManus was taken aback, dozens of questions began to race through his mind as he attempted to make some sense of what he was seeing here and tried to work out the why and the how. Then, his thoughts turned back to his original plan, and how this had complicated things slightly. He took a seat again, the cells was firmly locked and they weren't going anywhere in the short term.

"Alright, ye go' me." McManus said, playing it cool, "Last time I saw ye was back on Meropis 'fore I left. I assume the puddle jumper ah I saw follow me through was yours." He said, remembering his escape from the city. He was referring to the green gate ship that had zoomed overhead as McManus raced toward the DHD, snow crunching underfoot. Just before he dived through the wormhole to his rendezvous point, there'd been an almighty explosion in the distance. McManus suspected it had something to do with Dorane.

"I'd love tae ken how ye did it Hopper. I can do bonnie much whatever I wan' within the known universe but dying? Nay lad, that's somethin' ye don't get back up frae." As Hopper answered, he looked up at the tiny, rectangular slit built into the cell wall opposite the door. The thick bars like something out of a Victorian prison meant it wasn't a viable escape route. But it did serve a purpose. McManus noted that thick black darkness was starting to ease as the first rays of morning desperately shone their light over the planet surface. It wouldn't be long now.

[Thomas Hopper]

Hopper didn't bother looking at the Sergeant as the man spoke. "Not exactly my plan, no. It was that bastard alien's. Though I did pilot it away, yes." Hell, I might even have a medal for it I know nothing about the Lieutenant didn't add. The thought did almost make him smile, though. He had never really cared much for decorations, and he didn't see that changing anytime soon. He used to just do what he was told. He hadn't been paid to think, rather than to do. But then his old skipper and friend decided to recommend him for OCS and following completion of that he did have to think. He never thought he'd make the Admiral ranks, but Commander and his own team had to be do-able before his retirement.
 
Hopper didn't answer immediately after McManus asked him how he'd survived. Maybe he wanted some dramatic effect or something. Or maybe he just needed a bit to formulate it. "I didn't physically die, no. However, having been missing for several months now, coupled with the fact that my body was not recovered, I am most likely presumed dead." the Lieutenant said. It could have been worse. He could have been actually dead. Though he wasn't sure his family would see it like that. Most likely, they would rather bury a coffin with a body in it. Of course, most of all they wouldn't want to bury anyone at all. It was better like this, Hopper told himself.

After a couple of minutes of silence, Hopper finally spoke up. "So now that it's the two of us, we can break out. Half a dozen was too much for me alone, but the two of us having had the training we had, we should be able to overpower three each. Especially if you brought some tools" Hopper said. He knew that the Sergeant would have a couple of spare knives. No self-respecting Special Forces man wouldn't. He also knew that these alien knuckle draggers didn't search captives as thoroughly as they should. There was a reason that he had four escape attempts to his name in the past month. Furthermore, during his frequent trips to the interrogation chambers, he had had a good look of the facilities. Escape was certainly possible. And now he had a partner to help him with this.

[Andrew McManus]

McManus scanned the cell once more, other than he and Hopper there were three other emaciated looking slaves dressed in rags. They looked filthy, covered in mud and coal from head to toe and looked defeated. Still, at least the hard work and toil had given them at least a little muscular form, they might survive just yet.
"Not exactly my plan, no. It was that bastard alien's. Though I did pilot it away, yes." Lieutenant Hopper replied to the Scotsman's questioning after a short pause. "I didn't physically die, no. However, having been missing for several months now, coupled with the fact that my body was not recovered, I am most likely presumed dead."
McManus pulled a face at that, it was a sore subject. Being 'presumed dead' was what he blamed for not being rescued from the clutches of the Etruscans in the first place. Such was home world protocol and the risk/threat management model or whatever they called it. It was all well and good for those driving desks to make life or death decisions when they didn't have to face said dying man and tell him why he'd been left behind. On the bright side, it helped him come to the decision that he didn't need Meropis, Stargate Command or the S.A.S. He had the skill set and the knowledge to do this on his own, and he wouldn't stop until his personal vendetta was settled and the bast**d that captured him was dead in front of McManus.

The pair sat in silence. Dawn was fast approaching but there was a disturbing, noticeable lack of birdsong on this planet. It made the world feel cold, dead and barren.
"So now that it's the two of us, we can break out." Hopper broke the silence, "Half a dozen was too much for me alone, but the two of us having had the training we had, we should be able to overpower three each. Especially if you brought some tools"
McManus raised an eyebrow, followed shortly by a smile. He reached down into his black leather standard issue boots. They looked more than a little tatty after the past few month's wear and tear but they had more surprises yet it seemed. Within the lining of each boot McManus produced a small, compact, yet sharp and deadly switchblade. He tossed one over to Hopper and leaned back against the cell wall feeling 'as cool as a cucumber'. By now he was fully aware that the other in mates were paying the pair of Meropis personnel their full attention, good thing he'd briefed them earlier.

"At daybreak in, oh, just a few moments time," McManus said in a whisper, glancing at the bars at the top of the cell wall, "We'll strike 'em. The McManus militia I call 'em. Taught 'em myself." He winked at Hopper. And with that a distant explosion sounded, almost as if it was on cue. Shouting could be heard, although they were unable to distinguish what language it was, it sounded rushed and panicked. The sound of heavy boot steps heralded their captors pounding down the hall, no doubt checking to make sure their prisoners hadn't broken out.
"Ready?" McManus asked, hiding the blade in the palm of his right hand behind back.

Right on time two of the hulking Etruscan beast warriors arrived in front of the cell. McManus stood with both hands behind his back smiling at them as the sound of gunfire broke out in the distance. With a sudden movement McManus swung his left hand, the one without a blade in it of course, around and firmly into Hopper's stomach. It winded him and caused the man to cough and splutter, McManus was sure the man would understand.
"Take that you son of a bitch!" McManus yelled, with a quick wink as Hopper looked up. The Etruscan warriors hurried with the keys to open the iron wrought cell door and separate the two.
"You'se never learn do ya?" He smirked, "NOW!" All five cell mates launched themselves at the two 7 foot tall monsters the moment the doors were open.

<tag Thomas Hopper get 'em!>

[Thomas Hopper]

Unknown Time
Etruscan Cells
K3X-779, Eros
Triangulum Galaxy


"Right" Hopper said. He didn't care much for this man leaving the programme to strike out on his own, doing whatever the f**k he wanted. Men like McManus had often been the target of his operations with the SEALs back on Earth. Then an explosion sounded, and not long after that the alien troops came rushing into the brig. The Scot hit Hopper in the stomach, and he slumped to the ground as the man shouted some things. The aliens opened the cell, and entered. Hopper got up, and jammed his knife into the closest alien's throat. It gurgled as it went down.

The Lieutenant grabbed the laser rifle, and pointed it at the door as another alien ran in. He pulled what could pass as a trigger, and a laser beam shot out and hit the alien on the right side of its chest. "ZPM" the officer said. "If we bring one back, you might score some points with the big man" he added. He didn't know if the man ever wanted to come back, but if he did, this would help. Either way, it would help Hopper as well. His wife could use the extra pay a promotion would give him. They'd only ever had a little financial trouble before he had joined the SEALs, but this boost would give them the opportunity for another child -when he was home, at least-.

First he had to get there, though. Another alien dared to come in, and Hopper shot him as well. Then he decided to cautiously leave the brig. He had work to do. First, he'd have to hit the armoury. See if there was some gear he could take. He was still dressed in the Navy Type-II working uniform -though a bit ragged, as well as dirty with dried blood, pus from his infected wounds, and other bodily fluids. He could use a change of clothes. That wasn't why he was going to the armoury, though. He'd spent months in this uniform. He could spend a few more days in it. No, he was going to get some ammo for this rifle. And if it didn't actually take ammo, he'd grab another couple of weapons. A few grenades would come in handy as well.

He didn't wait to see if McManus or his lackeys were coming. He just went. Hopper moved through a couple of hallways, occasionally firing a few shots at a stray alien. After about ten minutes, he found the armoury. He took a shot at the first guard, and then turned the rifle to the second. It didn't fire, though. Hopper threw it at the guard and ducked to dodge the shot it took. The Lieutenant rushed the alien, and shoved his knife through the thing's eye into its brain, killing it.

He then looked around the room. He picked up two of these laser rifles. Then he grabbed some kind of pistol and put that in the right pocket of his trousers. He took three balls that looked like grenades. Just as he was about to leave he saw something black. Could it be? Hopper approached it, and picked it up. It was! His beanie! The one he had been given by a mate of his so many years ago. He'd thought he'd lost it when he'd been captured. He put it on his head, and left the room again. Time to find that ZPM.

[Andrew McManus]

Just After Daybreak
Etruscan Cells
K3X-779, Eros
Triangulum Galaxy

It was on. Hopper and McManus had sprung their cell with a little help from an outside distraction prearranged by the mad Scotsman. The latter jumped back as Hopper fired a stolen alien weapon at one of the guards, taking it down in a spectacular blaze of green fire and purple blood.
"ZPM. If we bring one back, you might score some points with the big man
." Hopper said amidst the heat of combat. McManus paused, having taken down his foe, he stared at the back of the Lieutenant's head and frowned while he processed what Hopper had just said. The American moved off briskly and professionally, his training kicking in to full effect as he took down another of the aliens that had been caught unawares. McManus stood with his arms at his side, the knife held loosely in his right hand, his clothes covered in as much human and alien blood as Hopper's.
"Score some points..." He mumbled, staring in the direction Hopper had gone, "You think there's some redemption for me. You genuinely think there's hope for me, that I can be saved... That Jason Conway won't have me shot on sight." There as something in Andrew's tone of voice that gave it away, a slightly tell tale tremble perhaps. A hint of admiration for his fellow captive.

McManus became aware of a presence over his left shoulder, he smirked. One of the Etruscan bred slaves was trying to 'do their master proud' and take the escaped prisoner out. The emaciated man was slowly approaching him with a spear pointed out.
"HALT!" He shouted. McManus turned and in one swift movement pushed the spear aside with his left hand before bringing the right to follow up and plunge down into the man's neck. Letting go off the knife he allowed the man to fall down and die in front of him. He didn't need it anyway, there was a much better weapon lying at his feet.

----

Around half an hour had passed since their escape. McManus was aware of a warning light flickering atop the alien weapon which he guessed was low ammunition or charge, he'd taken out a few guards sweeping his way through the complex and leaving nothings to chance. He'd deliberately gone the opposite way to Hopper and was now working on his escape plan. Finally, McManus had found his mark. Studying the plans they'd scouted weeks ago had paid off as McManus found the passageway carved into the rock that he'd been looking for. He could see shadows cast by the morning glow poised just around the corner. Two, three, maybe more were bunched up and carrying weapons. He composed himself and with a roar swung himself around the corner weapon raised. McManus had to make a real conscious effort to stop and remove his finger from the trigger when he saw who it was.

Several man garbed in various wolf-skin clothes and stolen alien armour confronted him. With a smile he lowered the gun,
"Boys! What took ya so long!" It was then that they all spotted Hopper sweeping his way down the hallway from the opposite end, now complete with his black beanie hat and a decent gun. McManus raised his eyebrows, damn that guy was resourceful. His eyes flicked from left to right as he realized Hopper was assessing the newcomers.
"Ah, how rude of me. Tommo, meet my militia!" He gestured toward the burly four warriors stood armed with seized Etruscan rifles, "There's more where that came from too. Right now though, let's blow this joint eh!? You got it?" The last part was directed at the leading warrior who nodded and move the wolf-skin cloak to reveal a few blocks of C4 on his waist.
"That's the last of my reserves." He said to Hopper, "And I just happen to know where the power core is..." He smirked, and then he realized something. The power core WOULD contain a bastardized ZPM. Hopper could take that back to Meropis for the good of the people, and McManus could rig the rest of the damn structure to blow. All they had to do then was survive, escape and, well, not die. Easy, right?

<tag Thomas Hopper>

[Thomas Hopper]

Just After Daybreak
Etruscan Cells
K3X-779, Eros
Triangulum Galaxy

Hopper had left the armoury, and found several blokes dressed in the same drab that McManus was wearing. McManus was apparently their commander. So he had created a militia since he had left Meropis then. The Scotsman said some things to his men, and then a young boy revealed the C-4 he was carrying. He nodded at McManus.

"Lead the way, Sergeant" Hopper said. He didn't know if the man still used his rank or not. That was how Hopper knew him, though, and that is what he would call him.

[Andrew McManus]

0700 local time
Etruscan Cells
K3X-779, Eros
Triangulum Galaxy

"Lead the way Sergeant," Hopper had said. McManus nodded, without saying a word he gestured and, with his stolen alien rifle held out in front of him began back down into the depths of the Etruscan base. The group kept a tight formation behind him, he'd trained them well and Hopper needed no instructions. They were as silent as could be, no words were exchanged and the footfalls were kept light. They swept corner after corner, tunnel after tunnel. At one point McManus ducked back around a corner and urgently raised his hand. The group pressed themselves up against the wall as an Etruscan patrol rushed by the adjacent corridor. Once they'd gone, McManus ducked into the hall from the way they'd come.

Eventually, he'd led them to a sealed door. Some sort of advanced, bio-engineered item was gently flashing in the center of the door.
"Here," McManus whispered, looking over Hopper's shoulder as he did, "this should take us through and into the main power core. That's where the ZPM will be. If take it, rig the place to blow and run we should be golden. But... It'll trigger a basewide alarm." He smirked, leaving the difficult decision in the hands of Hopper. Either way, McManus intended to do some real damage on his way out. They were deep within the heart of the base now, explosions had begun outside as some sort of attack or revolt was underway. They sounded dull and distant down here, with no context to them. One of them rocked the building slightly and dust trickled down above the pair.
"I love the smell of napalm in the morning," McManus quipped, putting on a terrible impression of a Texan accent.

<tag Thomas Hopper >

[Thomas Hopper]

0700 local time
Etruscan Cells
K3X-779, Eros
Triangulum Galaxy


"Seems like it doesn't matter anymore" Hopper said, referring to the alarms that had started to go off. Hopper took the detonator from the rebel. He took cover behind the corner, and hit it. A moment later, the door around the corner, a few metres away blew open. Then he led the charge through the smoke into the next room. He shot one alien, and then ducked to avoid a blast coming to him. He popped up and after a few shots this alien went down as well. He ducked back into cover when more aliens approached, though.

After firing blind for a little bit, he had ran out of ammunition for the rifle. Not knowing how to reload it, he threw it away and took one of the two extra rifles he had grabbed. Just as he was about to move on, the rebel next to him -who was out in the open- was hit in the chest, and fell backwards. Hopper rolled to the next piece of cover, took aim, and fired at the alien that had killed the rebel.

The Lieutenant looked around for a bit. It was a bit difficult to see due to the combination of smoke still in the room, as well as the poor lighting. HE could very clearly distinguish a ZPM a few metres away, though. "Cover me! I'm gonna make a break for the ZPM" he shouted to whomever could hear him. He fired off a few shots and then sprinted to the power generator. Lasers went past him left and right as he was prying the ZPM loose, but after a minute he had it, and hot back into cover.

"Let's set the charges, and get outta here most ricky-tick!" he then shouted to McManus, who he could see was already working on it.

[Andrew McManus]

0715 local time
Etruscan Cells
K3X-779, Eros
Triangulum Galaxy

The base was in uproar, the only thing stopping Hopper, McManus and his militia from getting shot to pieces or worse was the fact that they kept moving. One foot after another progressing through the halls of the Etruscan complex and aggressively taking care of anything in their way. The charge had blown and they were taking the ZPM room by force, so far it was working in their favour, most of the guards were a few steps behind them following the trail of destruction. Escaping the planet altogether might be another problem though.

McManus watched one of his men go down, hit square in the chest by an alien blast. He cursed, they didn't all have the time to train to the level him and Hopper had reached. He looked down as he pressed himself up against a wall providing some decent cover. The rebel had a large, perfectly circular whole in his chest. It was smoking and looked charred and burned, it had all but gone right through him. The Sergeant quickly realized there was only one shot you could take from those aliens and it would be game over instantly, as if the stakes needed raising any further.

"Cover me! I'm gonna make a break for the ZPM!" Hopper shouted, snapping McManus' attention back to the firefight. He aimed the alien weapon and fired a few pot shots to suppress the foot soldiers before ducking back to avoid their return volley. Glancing back out through the smoke he could make out one of the hulking beasts entering the room. It was raising it's weapon at Hopper who was desperately tugging at the ZPM, trying to prize it free. McManus screamed and held down the trigger on the alien rifle, it unloaded a series of blasts at the alien beast. Eventually a few of them hit the thing and sent it stumbling back, before falling down hard. The rifle clicked, it was empty, McManus threw it down and grabbed the C4 charges from one of his men.

"Let's set the charges, and get outta here most ricky-tick!" Hopper shouted, he had the ZPM now. McManus ran to the central core and slid down onto one knee as gunfire zipped above his head. He heard a pained scream as another of the rebels was sent flying backwards by the aliens fight. McManus slammed the C4 blocks on the base of the panel before scrabbling up to his feet and breaking into a head down run.
"They're set, LET'S MOVE!" He yelled, tugging at Hopper's sleeve as he dashed past. Only two of McManus militia warriors now remained alive and the joined the escaped prisoners in their dash for freedom.
"WHERE ARE WE GOING!?" One of them yelled desperately,
"I HAVE NO IDEA, JUST RUN!!" McManus shouted as he dashed through the doorway, he spared a quick glance to make sure Hopper was still with him. In a moment they would blow the charge which would send part of the huge structure crashing down. Up ahead lay a path to the Stargate littered with hundreds of enemy soldiers, it was a desperate bid but McManus really hoped his ally would come through for them. Maybe, just maybe, today would be day he died.

<tag Thomas Hopper >

[Thomas Hopper]

0730
Freedom
K3X-779, Eros
Triangulum Galaxy


As the group of ragtag freedom fighters was running towards the stargate, at times nearly tripping over the many bodies, Hopper kept firing his laser rifle at anyone who presented a threat to himself. At one point, he ran out of ammunition again. This was his last rifle, though. He unslung it, and threw the now useless piece of metal on the ground. He reached to his side, and grabbed the .45 from its holster. Boy, was Hopper glad he had his sidearm again. Within a moment, he had it raised, and had taken the safety off.

As the group reached the gate, one man split off to dial in. Just after he touched the last button, he was shot. Hopper kept firing, and reloading, but he would run out of ammo if they didn't leave soon. With a roar, the gate opened, and the group started running through it. Hopper was the last man through, and when he got out on the other side the gate closed.

Then the Lieutenant checked himself. No permanent injuries as far as he could tell. He'd been roughed up by his captors, but that would mostly heal, given a little time. Then he looked at McManus. "Dial Meropis. I gotta go home" Hopper said. He had his IDC transmitter in one of his pockets, having picked it up in the armoury.

[Andrew McManus]

0732
Freedom
K3X-779, Eros
Triangulum Galaxy

They ran toward the Stargate under a hail of enemy gunfire. For a moment, McManus felt time slow around him. It was chaos, beams of light zipped mere millimeters over his head while others sent the earth flying up into the air in front of him. Somewhere behind him an explosion sounded, sending his ears ringing and a shock wave of heat rising up his back. One of his men reached the DHD before him and began punching in the co-ordinates, it would be to a neutral planet. McManus had taught them all to do this, dial somewhere barren and vacant and then dial your next destination. Never bring s**t to your own doorstep.
"Dial Meropis. I gotta go home." Hopper ordered, his voice just audible above the blast. McManus shot him a quick sideways glance, knowing what he'd just been thinking about it.

He looked up just in time to see his man go down, a great big hole in his chest as he slowly fell backwards, the light flickering out of his eyes. The wormhole rushed to life in front of them as McManus temporarily took cover behind the DHD. He'd ditched his spent weapon a while ago. Glancing around McManus could only see Hopper taking cover in a similar fashion. His men, dead. All dead.

Together the two of them made a break for the event horizon. Hopper and McManus side by side dived forward, both of them wondering if they would survive the next few seconds.
_____________

Slowly, McManus pushed himself up in a press up position. The Stargate shut off behind him. They were on a barren, desert planet, around him was black scorch marks from weapons fire that had followed them through. To his left, Hopper was pulling himself to his feet as well. Somehow, someway they had survived. He could just make out the ZPM Hopper was holding. Silently, McManus walked over to the DHD. He lifted up the top stones on what appeared to be a small rockery just beneath it and removed a lockbox, from that lockbox he removed a small alien pistol like weapon which he shoved into the lining of his trousers.

"Let's get you and that ZPM home."
Acknowledging Hopper with a nod, he dialed Meropis. McManus would not be going with him.

<tag Thomas Hopper >

[Thomas Hopper]

0732
Freedom
K3X-779, Eros
Triangulum Galaxy


McManus dialed the gate, and as it opened, Hopper took out the IDC from his pocket. He entered his code, 951237097. On his way to the gate, the Lieutenant extended his hand, and McManus shook it. "I'll put in a good word for you, brother" Hopper said. For they were brothers. Not by familial connection, perhaps, but by arms, and by blood shed together. Then he continued walking. He stepped through the gate.

On the other side, a party of armed men was waiting. "Woah, woah! Y'all thought you was rid of me, didn't you?!" he shouted with a grin on his face. He wasn't usually the one to make jokes like that. Hell, he'd gotten his nickname and usual callsign 'Iceman' for a reason. And that reason was because he was all serious almost all the time.

[Jason Conway]

1535
Stargate Operations
Meropis
Triangulum Galaxy

The familiar klaxons and sirens that had been installed around the gate room started wailing, heralding the arrival of an unexpected off-world activation. As per usual procedure, the gate room guards rushed into position and leveled their weapons as the wormhole rushed into life and the event horizon settled. The shield shimmered into force over it, ensuring that any unwanted guests would be flattened on impact. That was a sight General Jason Conway was never going to get tired of seeing. It just so happened the expedition's leader was in the control room that afternoon checking on the general running of the base. He moved over to the window, a look of concern etched on his face as one of the technicians - Grover was his name - announced a valid IDC had been received.
"Sir, it's... It's Hopper..." Grover said, double checking the readings. Hopper was missing presumed dead, the General would be taking a real risk lowering the shield if it transpired to be a ruse or some sort of alien attack. That being said, if he didn't and it was Hopper then the man would be killed if he stepped through.
"Lower the shield," he ordered before making his way out of the control room and beginning to descend the steps onto the gate room floor.

Sure enough, a battered, bruised and broken Thomas Hopper stumbled through the wormhole, it shut off behind him.
"Woah, woah! Y'all thought you was rid of me, didn't you?!" He yelled to the room in general. Jason Conway slowly approached the man, he couldn't help but display that same look of confusion as earlier, his mouth hanging slightly open. He didn't order the guards to lower their weapons just yet, if there's anything Stargate Command's historic reports could tell you. It was that you could never be too cautious.
"Lieutenant Hopper. Would you care to explain exactly how you are standing in front of me right now?" He asked, keeping a safe distance from the man. He leaned to one of the personnel to his right and whispered,
"Get a med team up here stat, he looks a little worse for wear." The guard nodded and set off at a light jog down one of the adjoining corridors, Jason straightened up to face Hopper, a smirk forming at the corner of his mouth.

<tag Thomas Hopper>