A/N: So I was not planning on writing SGU fanfiction. I have other projects I'm neglecting for this. Unfortunately for those projects, I'm more inclined toward short oneshots than slaving away at anything more ambitious.

These are meant to focus on characters in particular. Criticism is both welcome and desperately desired.

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Rush knew it would happen sooner or later. He'd had a feeling. At one time or another, one of the planets they'd visit would yield up a sentient species, and some sort of trouble would ensue.

It was also a law of the universe that applied specifically to Stargate program that when said happenstance occurred, inevitably the program would gain an alien member. Since they'd first dropped out of FTL, Rush had been waiting for it with a sort of dread.

After all, the last couple of rogues that had been accepted had pretty much been muscle for the military. While he was sure that Ronon, Teyla and Teal'c had contributed greatly to the Stargate program, it was exactly this sort of environment they would be redundant in.

So when Eli had sent through the kino and said something to the equivalent of "Oh my god, Wookies!", Rush had braced himself for the sure to be newest conflict on the ship. Meanwhile, Eli babbled on to himself, like he usually did when he was amazed, which was frustratingly often.

"-thought we were the only ones out here, but we're not! Are they friendly do you think, or will we even be able to understand them? D'you think we should try to go through or-"

"Eli." Rush interrupted, and the chatter immediately stopped.

"..sorry." Eli said, so abashedly, Rush almost felt bad. Almost.

"Well what do you propose we do, Colonel?" He asked turning to the man with a challenging expression.

"You don't seem very surprised." Young replied, eyes flicking from the footage of a few aliens approaching the kino cautiously to Rush. Rush stared back impassively.

"It's only logical there are other lifeforms, Colonel. It's a large galaxy, after all."

For a long time there was a silence.

"...wow." Eli breathed, glued to the screen. One of the aliens had a hold of the kino, and was holding it staring at the Stargate, making deep guttural noises to its few comrades. To call them Wookies wasn't quite right. They were shorter than an average human, as far as Rush could tell, and looked more like bipedal felines.

"Well we certainly can't understand them." Young noted.

"I wouldn't suggest going through." Rush advised, eyes hard.

"Why not?" Eli protested, before Young could open his mouth. "This is our first chance at alien contact!"

"Except for them things in the water." Greer added, breaking his silence with a shudder.

"Exactly." Rush answered.

"Shut down the gate for now." Young ordered. "Rush, come with me."

The scientist met Eli's downcast expression with a raised eyebrow, and then followed the Colonel out of the gateroom.

"Colonel." Rush finally said, when they were out of hearing range. Young stopped and turned slowly, leaning heavily on his improvised crutch. "What do you want?"

"How much have you found out about Destiny's purpose?" The Colonel asked, expression deadpan. Rush rather got the impression he was still of the idea that he knew more than he let on. Well, good, he could work with that.

"As a whole, not much." Rush admitted, arms crossed. "Why do you ask?"

"Every time we've stopped before, it's been for something we need. Supplies. A cure." said Young, leaving off, and rubbing his forehead tiredly.

"This time there are people." Rush finished, and he lapsed into thought, rubbing at the stubble on his chin.

"What do you think?" Young prompted.

"Oh, now you'll ask for my opinion." Rush snapped, but not with much passion. Young avoided that sore topic as tactfully as possible.

"I figure I'll ask it now instead of finding out afterward that you were right." Young answered neutrally. For a moment, Rush's only reply was the hissing of air as he sighed through tight teeth.

"Destiny's always been right." He said finally, but he didn't look happy about it.

"Isn't that just the way of things." Young noted.

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I don't particularly like this one. If it sounds like it started out as a longer story, it did. But it's just a oneshot for 'what if' purposes.