Author's Note: Story is complete. New chapters will be added daily.

Prologue

Mission Report
Richard Woolsey
Atlantis Base
2 September 2012

In the year preceding the attack, an estimated 92% of the total Wraith population had submitted to taking the retrovirus engineered by doctors Beckett and Keller (section 12.1 for retrovirus compound and effects). The overpopulation of Wraith predators in proportion to viable human prey created a scenario in which the continued survival of the Wraith was in jeopardy. This instigated a civil war which later led to many Wraith seeking an alternative food source (section 11, "Cause and Effect: An Anthropological Study of Wraith Macro Socioeconomic Hierarchy"). While the dissemination of the retrovirus greatly diminished the Wraith as a threat, those who refused (hereon referred to as Type 1 Wraith, with Type 2 Wraith denoting those who submitted to treatment) took up offense with renewed ferocity and a bloodlust heretofore unseen. They were no longer hunting humans strictly as a food sourced, but with the purpose of eliminating all peoples allied with Atlantis...

"Shields at critical levels. One more hit like that and we'll be dead in the water."

"Can you divert power?"

"Not if you still want weapons."

...spread the remaining hives across Pegasus. Over the course of a year, Type 1 Wraith had succeeded in destroying hundreds of human populations. With our allies specifically targeted, traditional relocation failed to be a practical solution for the survivors. The city came to house refugees from nearly every world with which trade or other peaceful negotiations had been established. Atlantis had become both the safest place in the galaxy and the biggest target...

"Can we evacuate?"

"No. Even if we had enough time, the ZedPMs are nearly depleted. We wouldn't be able to maintain a stable wormhole . Besides, it wouldn't help."

"We'd be alive. That seems helpful."

"Listen to me, Sheppard. This isn't like the other times the Wraith have come after Atlantis. They're not trying to get to Earth or protect their food source. They want to wipe us out. Leaving and destroying the city will only hold them off until they're able to track us down again, and then we'll be even more helpless than we are now."

"Then give me another choice, McKay."

"Working on it!"

...After a series of hit-and-run operations performed by the U.S.A.F. ships the Sigurd and the Valkyrie, in conjunction with the preemptive evacuation of allied home worlds (section 3, "Strategy and Preparation"), Type 1 Wraith found their numbers in a steady decline and their strategy failing. They had meant to cut off supplies and draw the Lanteans into an open confrontation outside of the city, but had instead greatly reduced their own food source and caused all the major powers of the galaxy to fall back into one central stronghold—Atlantis. Many of the remaining Type 1s surrendered and were administered the retrovirus, bringing the enemy Wraith force to no more than a small handful of hive ships (section 14.3). The rest regrouped and launched a full scale attack on the city directly...

"I might have a solution, but you're not going to like it."

"Let's hear it."

"A couple of months ago, we were investigating the labs in the far west pier. We found what we believed to be an energy weapon—one that would fire with nearly twelve times the force of the Asgard beams on the Daedalus class ships."

"You got it working again."

"Possibly."

"Possibly?"

"Alright, almost definitely, but it's never been tested. Based on the calculations, we'll be able to get off one, maybe two shots before we drain power completely, and if it doesn't work, we'll still kill the ZedPM."

"Are there any other options?"

"None that end with us surviving."

"Do it."

...under siege for almost a week. The combined efforts of the Sigurd, Valkyrie, and those ships in the company of the Travelers brought down all but four of the hives before the vessels sustained too much damage and took refuge within the city's shields. The city's drones, complemented by those brought in by the Lord Protector of the Tower, was then fired, taking out two hives, and damaging a third. While their force was critically decreased, the final hives showed no intent to surrender or retreat, and Atlantis had exhausted all of its defensive resources (section 3.3, "Artillery"). Doctor Rodney McKay suggested a piece of experimental Ancient weaponry...

"McKay to Sheppard."

"Go ahead."

"We've made it to the lab. It will take a few minutes to integrate the weapon into the city's power system. I need you in the chair and ready to fire on my mark."

"Understood."

...In what was the final act of the war, McKay and his team made the Ancient energy weapons operational. Though the two shots expended the last of city's power, the hive ships were destroyed, securing a victory not only for Atlantis, but for the entire Pegasus galaxy...

"Why aren't you firing?!"

"I tried. Nothing's happening... Oh no no no. This is bad."

"What's going on?"

"Just give me a second."

"McKay..."

"All of you, clear out! Get as far from here as possible, but don't use the transporters. They're probably going to go offline as soon as we fire."

"What are you doing?"

"There's a problem with the power distribution. I'm going to have to regulate it manually."

"Why did you send your team out?"

"Because there's a chance it could overload, causing a catastrophic failure that would bring down this whole tower."

"Get out of there. We'll figure out something else."

"There isn't anything else. Besides, the chances of an overload are a lot slimmer than the chances of us getting blasted out of the water by the Wraith if we don't do this. Now, are you ready?"

"Colonel?"

"Ready."

"Alright, now on my mark."

...The last battle with the Wraith proved to have fewer casualties than any previous attack on Atlantis. With a full complement of ZPMs, and the backing of every military force in Pegasus, the Wraith threat met a complete and efficient defeat. While we mourn the twenty three lost aboard the ships, both terrestrial and alien, and the five scientists that died in the explosion that devastated the West pier, they will be remembered by Atlantis, Earth, and Pegasus as heroes that ended centuries of fear and oppression, bringing this galaxy its first glimpse of freedom...

"Direct hit. We have a kill on the first hive ship."

"Oh, shit!"

"That's supposed to be good news, McKay."

"No, that's great, but the blast knocked out one of the power conduits. I'm going to have to have to double the output of the other two for the second shot."

"Well do it and get out of there."

"It's not that simple. At these levels, someone has to be regulating the device at all times."

"Get someone else to do it."

"I'm the only one that understands the work around."

"Teach them."

"There's no time. John, I have to do this."

"Fine. Just make it work."

"Right. Fire in three. Two. One. Mark."

"Direct hit. All hives have been eliminated, but we've lost power on all major systems. How's it on your end, McKay? ... McKay? ... Rodney!"