Hello. I'm Simon Cross.

First of all, I want to give a big thank you to everyone that has read this so far, especially those who reviewed it! I really appreciate the support and desire you've shown to keep reading. It really makes it more fun to write these stories! A special thanks to Tori Hawkeye, for beta reading my episodes and convincing me to publish them (she passes her thanks onto my readers as well)!

Now, on to business. This is the second episode, and it's starting to get into the storyplot of the major arc. It's also first part for a planned three-episode arc, so it might start out kind of slow at first as it gets into the details. But I still hope that you really, really like it! Please please please review this because it really helps me keep going and nudges my work in the right direction!

For anyone who was wondering, I'm trying to publish regularly, and by that I mean once a week. Right now I've set on Sunday to be my date to release new episodes, but if that changes I'll let you know. My goal is still one whole season, and I hope to do more if I get enough support. I just really hope that you enjoy this!

(UPDATE): Thanks to malfoystinksstinks for sending me a link with a list of the expedition. I never thought to look for it before, and because of this I had to change a character's name. This doesn't change the episode in any crucial way, but I'll mark this update in the next episode as well so no one gets confused with a change of name.

NOTE: I do not own Stargate Universe and all of these ideas are mine and not taken from anything the original writers of SGU had intended or from other fandom to the best of my knowledge. The opening statements in quotes are from SGU episodes and are not my words, except for quotes from my episode "Reboot". The episodes "The Greater Good", "Twin Destinies", "Epilogue", and "Gauntlet" are sources for the quotes and they were obtained from the transcripts available on the Gateworld website.


302: Worship


"The Ancients did not devote the efforts of an entire generation to build this ship on a whim, neither was Destiny named on a whim.

The Ancients discovered a complex structure, the fingerprints of an intelligence.

Destiny was launched in search of that intelligence.

Who knows how close we are to finding it; how close we are to learning ... in the Ancients' words ... "the destiny of all things"?

I just wanna get these people home.

Well, I'm starting to think that seeing this mission through may be our only chance of ever doing that.

I only know that Destiny has come this far, and if we abandon her now, there'll be no coming back.

This ship was launched to solve a mystery by accumulating knowledge bit by bit.

Our mission is - and always will be - the journey itself.

Power to change things, control our fate, right the wrongs.

To play God?

I want you to work with me, together, side by side, for the benefit of everyone.

Well, it'd be a hell of a lot easier if you'd stop keeping secrets.

I think it's fair to say we've had our differences, but that ends today.

It would carry far more weight if you were standing alongside me.

I can do that.

Rush. Did we make it?

Destiny is almost out of power, and there are no stars nearby.

We looked everywhere. There's no sign of Eli.

The 'Gate's dialing.

Eli. Who is this?

He's a friend. His name is Kalin. He's from Novus.

Sir I promise that when I return I will sit with him and try to get to know him.

She knows the crew, and who is a prime choice for replacement.

And who is going to be replacing someone from the crew?

Me.

Didn't you say you brought power supplies with you?

Dr. Rush, it worked. F.T.L. is back up.

Destiny came through for you.

Not just for me. For everyone! Out there, are the answers to every question we have ever asked!

Solar collectors are deploying. Power levels are rising.

What is it Rush?

We're not alone here."


"We're coming through on the other side! Main systems fully recharged," Volker said as the bright glow from the star began to dim as Destiny began to distance itself from it.

"Rush, talk to me," Young said, now back in his chair. "What's out there?"

"We're still too close to the star," he responded with a sigh. "There's too much radiation and solar interference for us to get a reading from here. All I can tell you is that there is something out there," he said gesturing out into space.

Young quickly weighed his options mentally. "I take it an early jump is off the table?" he asked the three scientists.

"Yes, completely bad idea!" Volker said.

"We just exited F.T.L. a few minutes ago," Brody added. "We have to wait at least three hours, or this time we really will burn out the drive for good."

Young sat and sighed loudly seeming just tired of everything. "Alright," he finally said. He pulled his radio off his belt and raised it. "Eli, get up here to the bridge now."

"On my way Colonel," came the brief answer.

"And bring Chloe," he quickly added.

"Gotcha."

"Mr. Brody, deploy the main weapon and bring the rest of the platforms online. Divert as much power to shields as possible."

"Understood," Brody said, snapping to work on his station. Three monitors slowly swung down from the ceiling and displayed information to Young. The ship rumbled loudly as it passed through the opposite end of the star and began to move away from it.

"Lt. Scott. Deploy security teams throughout the ship, two man groups. Get the civilians into safe zones," Young said.

"Sir?" Scott inquired over the radio.

"Get it done, Lieutenant," Young quickly ordered.

"Yes, sir."

Wray just stood to Young's side, arms folded. She looked around helplessly having minimal training on the bridge. Sensing her apprehension, Young spoke up.

"Maybe you should head down to the infirmary. Help out TJ if it comes to it?" he suggested.

Wray warmed up a little at the news of that. "Yeah, I'll do that." She glanced at the front of the bridge and saw the scientists working to prepare the ship, and then walked out of the bridge. She bumped into Eli and Chloe, who were running into the bridge just as she walked out.

"Eli," Wray said. "I'm glad you made it." She smiled.

"Thanks, you too Camille," he returned and ran up to Young, Wray walking out quickly. "What's up Colonel?"

"We've got company," Young said, pointing at the left monitor which showed a blue dot in front of Destiny.

"Oh crap," Eli muttered. "I didn't think we'd find life in this galaxy this fast." He walked over to the science terminal on the side of the bridge and started to try to enhance the sensor readings of the strange ship.

"Yeah, I just hope we break the track record so far and meet some friends," Volker said quietly.

The light from the star was significantly dimmer now and, looking on the left monitor, Young could see Destiny arcing away from the star quickly, the mysterious object right in their path.

"Can you get me more information, Rush?" Young asked.

Rush stared at his screen and tapped at a few buttons. "They're in orbit of the second planet. All I can tell is that we haven't met them before. I don't recognize the configuration. But there is something odd…" he trailed off.

"It's coming into visual range now," Brody added.

Everyone on the bridge just stared right out of the three large windows and squinted. Very far off, near a blue-silver planet, a silver dot larger than the stars in the background appeared and started to grow larger.

"Wait, this doesn't make sense," Brody said studying his monitor.

"There seems to be a lot of that going around, gentlemen," Young finally said in frustration. "One at a time, what is wrong?"

Brody went first. "I'm reading twenty-three 'Gates in range of us." He looked up and pointed to his monitor on the ceiling which indeed did show many Stargate indicators.

"What? But we've never seen more than five or six in one location!" Eli chirped in.

Chloe walked closer to the monitor and stared at some of the readouts. "Something is off about most of these 'Gates."

"Yeah, I noticed that too," Brody added, partly insulted she beat him to saying it.

"Look at the power readings from that ship," Volker said in awe. "They're the same as the…"

"Yes, yes. I see it too," Rush added quickly.

"Well someone please explain to me, 'cause I sure as hell don't," Young snapped at the room full of scientists and genii, leaning forward in his chair.

Rush sighed loudly and turned to face Young. "The power signature emanating from that ship," he said with a finger jabbed out into space, "is virtually identical to that of Destiny."

"Well how is that possible?" Young asked.

"Is it another seed ship?" Volker asked.

"No!" Rush said with aggravation. "I already said the dimensions are alien, and it doesn't resemble Destiny at all." He sighed and looked back to his monitor. "And yet, according to these power readings, that ship out there… is an Ancient ship."


Silence had fallen over the bridge. No one was even doing anything, just sitting waiting for the next order.

"Alright," Young finally spoke up. "Eli." The boy turned quickly to attention. "Send out a greeting message in Ancient. See if they answer."

Eli nodded his head. "Right." The last time he did that to a ship they just found, they tried to take over the ship. He moved to a terminal on the other side of the bridge and typed out a brief message.

"There's just too many things here that don't make sense," Rush said in frustration.

Young swiveled to face him. "Well figure them out. We can't go anywhere yet, so I want to know what I'm dealing with."

"Um, Colonel?" Eli said suddenly.

Young got up and walked over to him, his boots clanking across the deck.

"What is it?"

Eli looked up with some concern. "They answered back… in Ancient."

"What did they say?"

Eli stared at the polygonal letters that formed Ancient and took a brief moment to translate it. "It says, 'Welcome, Lords of the Rings'."

Volker turned around in his chair with an expression of disbelief. "What in the world?"

Eli grinned. "Looks like we found Middle Earth."

"Really?" was Brody's short comment. Eli just shrugged.

"No," Chloe said, ignoring Eli's statement, "I think they mean the Stargate," she said, her archaeological side moved to the foreground now. "That almost sounds like they've created a religion around the Stargate itself. It's not uncommon for cultures to take artifacts left by a previous civilization as sacred items." Her eyes widened and she looked back up to the monitor marking the 'Gates in range. "Of course!" She turned back to face Young. "Religious sites are often built by that culture wherever they go."

"Are you suggesting that these aliens built more Stargates?" Volker said, shock and amazement creeping through his voice.

"Actually, yes," she said easily, turning back to the front. "They seem to be advanced enough for space travel, so maybe they could have reverse engineered the 'Gate on their world and spread them to others. That would account for why most of the 'Gates we're reading are giving of strange signatures," she concluded.

Young turned his gaze to Rush. "Is that possible?"

Rush just scoffed. "Of course it's possible to build more Stargates. They were built in the first place. But it must suggest an incredible understanding of the technology behind it, more than we've managed to get." He stared back out to the ship that was now starting to get larger. "The knowledge they have could be invaluable."

"Are you actually considering contacting them?" Volker asked his voice almost angry now. "The last time we investigated aliens that could have 'invaluable' technology we got stuck in this mess!"

"I think we're safer here," Chloe chipped in. "They seem to use Ancient technology, so I doubt they'd attack."

Volker just sighed and turned back to his station. "No one listens to me," he muttered.

"Colonel," Eli spoke up, leaning in from the communication terminal. "Should I respond?" he asked.

Young stared out through the center window. The ship was getting bigger in the view now, and he could make out the features of the ship. The design was clearly not Ancient, at least not from the Destiny-style. The Destiny was moving towards it, but the ship was showing what seemed to be its starboard side to Destiny. From this angle it could be seen that the ship from bow to stern was very long and elongated. The side of the ship was spotted with hundreds of viewports, light emitting from them. The hull itself seemed smooth, devoid of the many conduits and systems that bumped up along the Destiny's hull. About halfway down the ship there was a large cylindrical area that jutted out from the ship and that greatly resembled a ring. The ship slowly began to turn to face Destiny, and on doing so it revealed bright lights across the front that looked just like the constellations on a Stargate. That seemed to prove these aliens had an obsession with the Stargate.

"Colonel, they're heading straight for us," Brody warned. He held his finger steadily over the controls that would activate the ship's superior weapons.

"What should we do?" Eli asked Young, tension growing quickly among the occupants of the bridge.

Young wasn't sure, but he knew that they were stuck here for almost another three hours, and he didn't want to spend any of that time fighting. "Eli, respond to them. Tell them that we come in peace, and ask who they are."

Eli nodded lightly and his fingers flew over the controls.

"Rush, what do you think?" Young said, returning his gaze to the scientist.

Rush sat leaning back, his hand resting on his chin, his eyes glued to the monitor. "These readings are similar to Destiny's power signature, yes. But they do have their own variances." He turned in his chair to face the center of the room. "My best guess is they… mimicked Ancient technology, probably from the Stargate itself."

A beep from the back of the room kept Young from asking more questions.

"They answered back," Eli said, quickly interpreting the message. "It says… 'We are the Portan Nati, Children of the Rings, and we peacefully bid you to your home', and there's a set of 'Gate coordinates with it. It looks like it's a star system twelve light-years away."

"Oh my God," Chloe said.

"What is it?" Young quickly turned to see Chloe's face in surprise, her mouth hanging open.

"They think we're their gods!" she said.

Rush looked interestingly at her. Young loosened up slightly, now feeling a little safer about these aliens. Volker looked incredulously around the room.

"Hmm. I've never been a god before," he said with a smirk.

"Yeah, you're the god of crappy statements," Brody insinuated without looking up from his console. Volker just glared at him.

"It can't hurt to accept their invitation," Rush finally said, standing from his console and walking to Young. "And besides, they seem to have advanced technology, and we do have a ship in need of repairs." He looked back out onto the ship that couldn't be more than a few kilometers from the bow of Destiny. "I'm sure they wouldn't mind aiding their gods." With that he walked up the couple of stairs and stalked out of the bridge.


"I'd love to see the look on Caine's face right now, if he was still here, him being called a god!" Doctor Morrison said, smirking while leaning against the railing in the Observation Deck. "He'd probably blow a fuse and try to convert those aliens out there," he said to Wray, staring at the ship that now could be seen quite clearly. News travelled quickly on a ship of eighty people. Once Wray realized she had no purpose in the Infirmary, she joined the crowd that had formed in the Observation Deck that was trying to get a view of the alien ship.

"I'm sure there's a reason for them thinking this," Wray said, leaning her elbows on the railing in the front of the room. "I'm just happy they don't want to blow us to bits for once."

Morrison just nodded.

"Well, I suppose I can say that I know how they feel," Kalin spoke up, suddenly at Wray's side. Morrison leaned forward and stared darkly at the newcomer to the ship. "There were quite a few of us from our people who looked on you as… something more than just people." He smiled as he looked admirably at Wray. "You were considered one of the greatest leaders our people ever knew."

"Right after Young I'd bet," she said with a grin.

He chuckled. "Perhaps." He stared out at the ship for a moment. Morrison groaned aloud and walked away, leaving Wray and Kalin alone. He turned slightly to look at Wray. "I heard that you wanted to speak with me."

Wray sighed and looked at him. "Our leadership on Earth is… skeptical," she said carefully, "about the Colonel's decision to incorporate you with the crew so quickly." Kalin only nodded, some of his happiness draining. "They just want me to speak with you. I think if I agree with him, they'll be more ready to trust you," she added reassuringly.

He stood straight and looked seriously at Wray. "You are known by our people as a capable judge of character and a righteous person. I am sure that you will come to the right decision," he said confidently.

"You seem to know a lot about us," Wray said, resting one elbow on the railing.

His smile returned and his gaze turned upward. "I must have watched the Kino archives of your generation…" he paused and thought, "hundreds of times. I know the stories behind all of your people, and I always admired the mission you sought to unfold." Looking around the room and out through the window across the ship, he smiled even wider. "But never did I ever realistically think that I might one day become a part of it."

Wray smiled with him. "I've noticed that you don't seem to have some, prejudices I noticed in others of your people." He frowned at her at this statement. She hesitated and clarified. "The group we found came from Tamara, the nation that followed Young. We noticed that most of them held Rush and his followers in some contempt."

He laughed a little. "Ah, yes. I know of what you speak." He waved his hand though, dismissing the idea. "However, those issues were mostly resolved before my generation. We had more pressing concerns with the disruptions we experienced on our home. We learned to blend to two nations well, to work together." His smiles faded slightly. "Unfortunately, it might have come too late. We evacuated through the Stargate before it was lost, and our ships removed many, but we could have done more in the first place." He looked back out the window in some disappointment.

Wray acknowledged him with a nod and turned to look out of the window with him.

"Camille, this is Young," blared Wray's radio strapped to her belt.

She pulled it off and responded. "Wray here. Is everything alright Colonel?"

Static filled the air for a moment. "Yes. Meet me in the Gate Room now."

"Colonel?" she asked, frowning.

"I'll explain when you're here. Young out."

She put her radio back where it was, and turned to Kalin. "Well, it was good talking with you." She started to walk off but Kalin stopped her.

"Wait!" he called back. She stopped and turned to him. "When will you evaluate me, for your leadership?"

She smiled at him and walked up to him. "I just did. I'm glad to say you passed."

She walked out leaving Kalin smiling to himself. He moved to a chair and sat down, feeling proud and amazed inside at the incredible opportunity he just had opened to him.


"What's going on here?" Wray asked as she walked onto the mezzanine in the Gate Room. Below her she saw Chloe, Eli, and James geared up and ready for 'Gate travel. Rush and Young were standing near them.

Rush looked up at her. "We're accepting an invitation." He looked back down and moved to the dialing terminal and started to dial the Stargate.

As the 'Gate began to spin noisily in the middle of the room, Wray descended the spiral stairs. "Exactly where are we going?"

"To the aliens' Homeworld," Chloe answered, helped Eli clip his backpack on.

Wray looked surprised and gave a disapproving look to Young who spoke first.

"You're going with them," he said frankly, not letting her even argue his decision.

"Are you sure it's safe to go?" she still asked, determined.

"No, we're not sure," he answered honestly.

"But we'd need to go anyways," Rush threw in, dialing the fifth chevron.

Wray looked at him inquisitively. "And why is that?"

"Because," Eli said, activating a Kino with a remote, "the Seed Ship telemetry says this planet is full of raw materials and edible plant life."

"And right now, we have a ship in need of repairs and a crew to feed," Rush concluded, locking the point of origin and activating the Stargate. The vortex rushed out and quickly settled back into a stable wormhole. The Gate Room was filled with a bright silver shimmer.

Wray didn't have anything she could think of to argue that, especially as she was feeling her own stomach complain at the rations she had to eat. Young handed her a bag and she somewhat reluctantly accepted it.

"Send the Kino," Young told to Eli. The young boy nodded and with the push of a few buttons sent the buzzing device rippling through the wormhole. Static was heard from both the remote and the terminal Rush stood at before the Kino came out on the other side. The image that they saw was the last thing they expected.

"Holy crap! Those are humans!" Eli shouted staring at his remote screen. Indeed it showed three humans standing in a brightly light antechamber that was built in an Ancient style of the Destiny-era.

"Huh," was Rush's only reaction, the mildest of all the others in the room.

"What?" Young asked, knowing that probably meant he was keeping something secret.

"Hm? Nothing," Rush said. Young continued to stare at him. Rush relented. "It's just a hunch. I'll need to read up on some of the database to be sure." Young surrendered realizing this was the best he was going to get from him.

"What's he doing?" Eli said suddenly. On the screen the foremost human was holding out a small device, an L-shaped, light colored piece of metal with several red and yellow lights on it.

"Colonel," Rush said worriedly, "do you see this too?"

Young nodded his head carefully, and slowly turned his gaze to the forehead of the man holding the device, dreading what he would find. He was sadly correct. A similar device was attached to his temple, glowing yellow and red as well. He heard a slight whimper come from Chloe as she also recognized it.

"They're here," were her only words.

Eli, James, and Wray all looked up somewhat confused.

"What is it Colonel?" Wray asked worried.

Only three of Destiny's crew had actually seen this device before.

"How can this be? We left them behind." Young said urgently.

"Yeah, that's what we thought in the last galaxy," Rush said almost painfully. "They followed us again." He put his face in his hands for a second and then quickly straightened back up.

Eli glanced at all three of the distraught people and then seemed to get it. "Wait a second. Are you saying that this is from the aliens that kidnapped Chloe?"

Chloe just stood there and nodded her head slightly.

"They used it for transmission of thoughts, I imagine either for communication," Rush said with a glimpse back to Young, "or for interrogation."

"Maybe now we should reconsider?" Wray said, returning to her original argument. Chloe looked positively shaken, Rush seemed curious, and Young almost seemed angry.

Young looked to Wray and easily gave in. "Shut it down," he said to Rush.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea, Colonel," Rush said, leaning his arms on the edges of the console.

Young was losing his patience. "These aliens followed us across galaxies and have attacked us— "

"And they followed Destiny for years before we came aboard—" Rush yelled over him.

"They took you and Chloe hostage and experimented on her—"

"Those people are human! That's not the aliens we met—"

"It's their technology, Rush! This means they were here, and they can be back!" Young shouted back, attacking Rush's arguments. "We are vulnerable and can't stay here—"

"Which is exactly why we need to get supplies and repair the ship—"

"Forget the damn ship for one minute!"

"This ship is the only reason they are after us!" he shouted shoving a finger at Young's face. "Destiny has to be prepared to defend itself against them, and our chance is right through there!" he shouted right in Young's face, pointing his finger into the wormhole.

"Enough!" Wray shouted, ending their argument early. Eli and James had not moved this whole time, not too sure what to do. She sighed and turned to Rush. "You're positive this is their technology?"

Rush fumed another moment in Young's face before turning back to look at the terminal. "It's almost identical to what I saw on their ship," he admitted.

"Almost?" she asked.

Rush looked up in exasperation. "They would come in pairs, one to transmit and one to receive, denoted by different colors on them." He calmed down and pointed at the device that the man was still patiently holding up to the Kino. "The one on his head and the one he is holding seem to be the same."

"Could they transmit and receive?" Eli suggested. Rush looked at him and Eli turned to Chloe. "You said they mimicked the Stargate technology. Could they have done that with the alien's tech?"

Chloe still looked out of sorts, but composed herself to answer. "Yes, it's possible they combined them."

"Well that doesn't matter." Young said. "That still means they would need to have gotten the technology in the first place, and the only way is if they encountered the aliens."

"Well somehow, Colonel, I think these people wouldn't be standing here if the aliens had killed them," Rush added validly.

"You're suggesting they destroyed the aliens?" Young asked. He knew it was possible, but Destiny had yet to do that on its own.

"Yes, and then modified the technology they found." Rush said folding his arms. "This brings me back to my original statement that these people are technologically advanced and can help us."

Young stood still now, overwhelmed by all of these realizations and speculations. He still had to make a choice, and, with Destiny's current status, he did see merit in Rush's proposal. He turned to Chloe first. She seemed to be better than before, but still disconcerted as Eli was holding onto her shoulder. "Are you okay with this?" he asked her quietly.

She breathed in and nodded her head. "Yeah, I think so. I mean, what Rush said seems possible."

Young stared at her for a moment and then sighed. "Very well. Go, but take Greer and Scott too. I'll want more firepower just in case." Rush scoffed slightly at that. Young ignored him and pulled his radio off of his belt. "Lt. Scott, Greer, report to the Gate Room. Gear up for travel."

"Yes sir," Scott said first.

"Copy that," Greer responded a second later.

Young replaced his radio. "Wait for them, then go. I need to report in to Earth again."

"I'll go with you," Rush asserted quickly. Young stopped and looked at him. "I have to look something up on Earth."

Young scrutinized his face. Rush had something hidden, but Young just wasn't in the mood to force him out of it. "Fine."

"No," Wray said strongly surprising both men. She sighed and turned to Young. "IOA was strict about it. Tabitha is to report to Earth to them." Tabitha Ryder was a low-level geologist from the crew, which meant she wasn't a priority for the stones, but Young understood the urgency in her expression. Rush gazed at her, and was trying to piece things together from what he heard on the bridge. He knew he wasn't the only one keeping a secret.

Young turned back to Rush. "Next time."

He nodded his head slowly, and without delay lumbered off through the door between the rails and down the corridor. He passed Scott and Greer as they walked in. Scott nodded to Young.

"Colonel," he said.

"You two are going with them to the planet," Young ordered. "Be careful. We have reason to believe the aliens who kidnapped Chloe may have been there."

It was Scott's turn to look shocked. "Sir, is it a good idea to…"

"We've already had this discussion," he said impatiently. "Go. Regular updates on the hour."

Scott nodded and hugged his rifle closer to him, all the while looking at Chloe.

"Rush gave me a list of materials we should keep an eye out for," Eli chipped in.

"Those supplies and any food you can find are your priorities." He stepped back and indicated he was done talking.

James walked up to the Stargate and was the first to go through, closely followed by Greer. Wray slowly walked up and hesitantly passed through the event horizon. Chloe was escorted through by Scott on her left and Eli on her right.

They all arrived on the other 'Gate, barely dizzied by the 'Gate travel. Greer and James were standing defensively in front of the other four, keeping their weapons lowered but ready for anything. The Kino was hovering over the bottom of the 'Gate ramp right in front of the human that they saw from the feed. Behind him there were three others in a similar dark grey uniform as his, and none of them had any visible weaponry. One of the men walked up to Greer and James and held out his hand, showing several of the devices that the man in front of the Kino had as well. He offered one to James.

"Sir?" James asked tentatively to Scott behind her.

He looked to Chloe and she nodded to him. "It's safe," she added softly.

James slowly reached out and took one of the devices from the man, and carefully put it on her temple the same way it rested on the man's. As soon as she put it on she scrunched her face up and held her head in pain.

Greer quickly reacted and raised his weapon, but in another second James took her hands off. "It's okay! It's okay!" she yelled at Greer, straightening up and beckoning Greer to lower his weapon. The man just looked hard at James, and she acted as if she understood something. "It's safe, really," she said, turning back to Scott. She smiled a little. "It's actually kind of amazing, sir."

Greer refused the device offered to him. He still didn't trust this technology and he wasn't going to jump to use it. Scott put on a 'well what the hell' face and walked up to the man and gingerly picked up another device. He lightly shook it and stuck it on his head. Prepared for some pain he didn't react much to it as James, and then looked up quickly in amazement. Next Eli walked up grabbed a device and put it on, reacting in much the same way as Scott. They all just looked from each other to the other humans without speaking. Greer lightly groaned and then conceded, accepting the device and placing it on his temple with no reaction.

Before anything else could happen, Scott's radio went off.

"Lt. Scott," Young said over the radio, "is everything okay on your end?"

Scott still seemed somewhat taken aback by the devices they were using and the people that were standing in front of them, but he quickly grabbed his radio on this harness. "Yes sir. We've made contact with the Nati."

"You have?" he asked dubiously. The Kino turned around to face Scott to indicate that Young had been watching them, and to his knowledge nothing happened. Scott just laughed a little.

"Yes, Colonel," Wray chipped in. "Rush was right. The devices are used for communication."

"Yeah! It's like some kind of universal translator," Eli said excitedly.

"Alright. We'll dial in every hour for a report. Young out," Young said.

Right after that, the Stargate shut down and spun to return the point of origin to the top position. Chloe had barely moved away from the Stargate this whole time, and still stood there frozen. She saw her friends wearing these devices, and it brought a flash of memories to her. Cold. Wet. Dark. Probes. Needles. Pain. Fear. She unconsciously took a step back. Scott noticed and walked to her.

"Hey, you okay?" he asked softly.

Seeing him care for her, and the others not be afraid of the device lifted her spirits. She had already broken her fear of them once and willingly gone with them. Now she just had to brave up a little. She nodded her head, and walked past Scott right to the alien holding the devices. She took in a deep breath and picked one up and put it on.

A quick jolt of pain went through her head and she bit down on her lip not to make a sound. It quickly passed and was replaced with a voice.

"Welcome to our world. I am Tarym, one of the leading council members here."

She unconsciously turned to look to the man that she had taken the device from. She had heard his voice in her head.

"How?" she mouthed, surprised.

"When I speak, my mind unconsciously thinks of associations to the words that I say. These associations are universal across language barriers, and this device transmits it to you. Then your device reverses the process, using your own associations to recall the correct words in your language," the voice said. The man looked kind and smiled as he said this.

"It's actually really cool," Eli said out loud. It felt a bit strange, hearing a voice in your head and then in reality. The next second something clicked in Eli's head, and as he spoke to her again. "Wait, didn't you say they see us as gods?" Chloe just nodded slightly. "Well then, pardon me for hoping that their definition of god was all-knowing and all-powerful. Why the translators?" The question fell on Chloe uneasily.

Tarym chuckled, his voice echoing in their head. "We have known our gods were that of flesh and blood. We suspected your language was different."

"I'm sorry. I don't understand," Eli said.

"The gods created us from the earth, but not of any magic. They were great scientists and used their knowledge to make man in their image. We have long awaited their return to our people so they might join us in our lives," Tarym said. He looked to the Kino and then the Stargate. "You gave us all of this technology and blessed our lives with your love. Anything that we can do for you, we wish to."

"That rings a bell," Eli said. "But how do you know all of this? I mean are there writings, or was there some hologram of an old wizard talking about a sword?" he added jokingly. Greer looked at him grimly. "What? I read mission reports."

"The throne of knowledge taught us everything, from the language of the Lords, to the mastery of their technology."

Eli lost his happy expression and turned somewhat more serious. "Okay, now that really rings a bell." Everyone turned to face him. "That sounds a lot like the Neural Interface Chair onboard Destiny."

"I'm sorry," Wray suddenly spoke up. "We've been alone for some long it seems we've lost some diplomacy." She walked up to Tarym and held out a hand. "I'm Camille Wary, and on behalf of the crew of the Destiny, we're pleased to meet you."


"Okay, be careful!" Brody shouted to Volker. "Those controls are sensitive!"

"I'm not controlling it! It's preprogrammed to repair the damage," Volker said. After they exited F.T.L. they launched the robot to repair exterior damage, but right now the robot was acting up and doing more damage than repair.

"Yeah? Well who programmed it?" Brody accused. Volker glared silently from his console.

"Well at least it didn't rupture the plasma conduit," Volker said in defense. There was a slight rumble felt in the Control Interface Room and the lights quickly flickered before reestablishing. "What was that?"

"The plasma conduit ruptured," Brody said flatly, staring darkly at Volker. The latter just slumped in his chair in defeat. "You know, you could help us program this better," Brody said to the third scientist sitting in the room working at his own terminal. Rush just completely ignored him and kept doing his work.

Loud resounding footsteps entered the room as Young walked in. "What was that?" he asked.

"Um… conduit rupture," Brody said. "Nothing serious. Power flow was rerouted," he added defensively. "Some repairs to exterior damage aren't going quite smoothly."

"Well I'm sure there's something you could be fixing inside the ship," Young said, moving near the core, arms crossed in front, staring at Brody. He looked severe now, like he had unfinished business.

"Um, yeah. Plenty of systems are still down that we never fixed in the other galaxy," Brody answered quickly, some hesitation as he was trying to read the Colonel.

"Good, go take care of them," Young said.

"Colonel?" Volker questioned.

"Go. Now," he said sharply and turned to face Rush. He didn't say anything more. Brody and Volker exchanged looks. They set the repair robot to autopilot and quickly vacated the room.

Young stepped up closer to the console where Rush was working and just stood there. Rush didn't look up for a few moments, but with a heavy sigh finally acknowledged his presence. "I thought you had to go to Earth," he said annoyingly.

"Dr. Ryder complained of a dizzy spell so TJ is giving her a check-up. I'm waiting for her," Young said plainly. "We never finished our conversation."

"I didn't know we had started one," Rush threw back.

Young looked straight at Rush and looked angry. "You told me you wanted me by your side for this mission, and I agreed. Now I want you to do the same with me. Tell me what you know."

Rush sat still in his chair for a moment, but soon surrendered. "I always suspected it really, that they would do it somewhere else," he started. He sat straighter in his seat and pushed several buttons on his console. The holographic display came up and Young turned to face it. It showed a long list of logs. "We are the second evolution that exists in this human body. The Ancients were first, and with their technology, they created us. They did this in the Milky Way and Pegasus where they lived," he continued, "and it made sense that they would do it somewhere else too."

"So you're saying that they really are humans?" Young asked, looking back with disbelief at the scientist.

Rush pushed another few buttons and one particular log was expanded. "This is what the Seed Ship database sent to Destiny about this planet. The information is massive compared to what we've received about other planets. It would seem that the Seed Ship did more than just leave a Stargate on this world. It actually created life, and left behind Ancient technology, including a Neural Interface Chair." He sat back and crossed his arms, staring with an expression of sheer amazement at the display. "They truly are the children of the Ancients, parents left behind billions of light-years away. The only question is, why here?"

Young stared at the display and was mentally replaying each scenario where Rush had put the crew at risk by keeping some secret. Truthfully this didn't seem to be that bad on Rush's list. Which begged the question, "Why didn't you just tell me?" Young asked looked disappointedly at Rush.

Rush's face bore little to no expression anymore. "I wanted to check." He pressed yet another set of buttons and highlighted one set of information in the database. "There's a large amount of information stored on the Ancient database on the planet."

Young just stared back incredulously. "You were worried I wouldn't let you download it if you told me? Is that it?" he said, raising his voice.

Rush rose from his chair and walked to the hologram. "Well, would you have?" He turned quickly to face the Colonel. "I don't know if the information helps Destiny's mission; it wouldn't get the supplies from people on that planet; in fact they might be against us downloading their database. I didn't know how to ask you without you," he paused, "saying my motives were selfish," he finished.

Young looked in a mix of emotions. His face showed restrained anger, confusion, and failure.

"You really believe it, don't you?" he finally said. Rush stared at him from the hologram. "What Chloe said, that these people think we are their gods? You actually believe it, and you think you can do anything you want."

Rush licked his lips and stared off for a second before looking back with determination. "The structure this ship is searching for would contain knowledge," he started calmly, "power even, that most people would call god-like. So yeah, who's to say that we aren't becoming closer and closer to that as we continue this mission?" he said with as much strength as he could.

Young's insides continued to be torn by emotion. He thought that he had worked out an understanding with this man, and believed that for the most part he understood him, but at every turn he seemed to be proven wrong. His radio went off before he could say anything.

"Colonel Young, this is Dr. Ryder," a weak voice said. "I'm done with Lt. Johansen and am waiting in the Communication Room."

Young stood for a second and then lumbered off a few feet away from Rush towards one of the thresholds. He looked up and observed the countdown clock which was steadily ticking down from eight hours. Sadly the shipful of scientists had yet to figure out how to control it. He grabbed his radio and answered it. "I'll be there in a few minutes. Wait for me." He turned his radio off and put it back on his belt. He slowly turned to face Rush, his gaze down at the floor. He settled on failure and disappointment as his emotion. "I stood by your side." He looked up to Rush. "I stood by your side. I committed myself to Destiny's mission. All I asked is that you stay honest with me," he begged calmly, but didn't pursue it. He sighed and gazed flatly at Rush. "I guess you were right. We'll never be done," he said almost threateningly, repeating Rush's words from early on in the mission and storming out of the room.


"Okay, now this is definitely Ancient architecture," Eli said as he walked into a room similar to Destiny's Neural Interface Room, with an identical chair placed in the center. The room was just off of the Gate Room, which was apparently part of a large facility, all created by the Ancients. Eli walked in and gestured to the console. "Do you mind if I take a look?" he asked Tarym.

Tarym looked slightly confused by his need to ask and motioned him to do as he pleased. Eli smiled and dashed over to the console.

"Be careful around this thing, Eli," Scott warned.

Eli took a few seconds to study it and then responded. "This isn't a problem. It contains much less information than the chair on Destiny. Not enough to fry a mind like mine," he said with a grin. "And relax. I won't sit in the thing."

As Eli started to poke around the systems, Chloe stepped over to help him and Scott just hovered over the both of them. Greer and James stood at the doorway and Wray approached Tarym.

"Your people have gone far, Tarym. You should be proud of what you've done," she started, trying to make sure she said only good things that could create and maintain a good relation with them.

Tarym smiled at her and looked very pleased. "We used everything that we had at our disposal that was left to us. Your technology helped us go this far."

Wray returned the smile. "I realize this is blunt, but we could use some help of our own."

Tarym's smile grew larger. "Anything that we can do to help, we would do gladly."

Wray was content with herself. "Eli, give me the list of supplies Rush wanted." Eli handed her a remote that contained a large file. She quickly gazed at it and handed it to Tarym who eagerly took it. "Destiny suffered heavy damage recently, and your world has resources that could aid us immensely in repairing it. We're also low on food and water, if it's not too much to ask."

"Of course," Tarym said, reading through the list. "I can have most of these items sent through the Ring within the hour."

"That's wonderful news. The sooner the better."

"But I wish to ask, why the rush?" he asked furrowing his brow.

That stopped everyone in their tracks. No one could think an appropriate answer, but Wray tried to answer it as best as she could. "We have a long way to go, and we're on a strict timetable."

Tarym looked satisfied but disappointed. Regardless, he handed the pad to one of his lowers who ran off. "I'm so sorry to hear that. My people have been waiting so long to meet our creators, and now, to have them leave so soon," he sighed. "It will be difficult."

Wray walked up closer to Tarym. "Well I for one am glad that we met, even if it is for a short time."

This short statement seemed to make Tarym happy. In his mind, he felt a lifelong desire being answered, and he could not ask for anything more at this point. He quickly shook off his feelings and returned to the conversation. "We can begin sending your supplies very soon. I assure you, there are many among us who would relish the chance to help bring the supplies over and to see your ship."

"We'd appreciate the help," Wray returned gently.

Tarym smiled again and walked out of the room, heading back to the Stargate.

"We'll he's friendly," Eli chimed in.

"Yeah, maybe a little too friendly?" Greer asked.


Tabitha Ryder was sitting patiently at the stones waiting for Colonel Young. She was nervous. Under normal circumstances it was hard for her to get a spot for the stones, and she had family back on Earth that she liked visiting, and now out of the blue she was being told to go to Earth. She knew that something strange had to be up, but she didn't really care. She just wanted every second she could take off of this ship.

Young walked in loudly and quickly took a seat next to her. Corporal Barnes looked up from her laptop and acknowledged him. He looked angry for a moment, but composed himself. He looked up to Ryder and picked up his respective stone. "Are you ready?"

She nodded lightly. He gently placed his stone on an empty slot of the device and closed his eyes. Ryder did the same.

A second later, both people opened their eyes and looked around.

"Major Brooks?" Barnes questioned to the woman.

She nodded lightly. "Yes. I'm here with Dr. Lee again," she said nodding to Young's body. "General O'Neill wants him to lend a hand in repairs."

"Yes sir," Barnes answered firmly, entering in some data to the laptop.

Brooks nodded. "I need to speak to Camille Wray."

Barnes looked up. "I'm sorry ma'am; she's not on the ship right now." Brooks gazed sharply at the Corporal. "I'll take you both to the Control Interface Room. Someone there should be able to fill in the blanks." Barnes got up and escorted them out of the room.

They quietly walked down the long hallways, pipes exposed along both sides and the ceiling. They didn't pass anyone on their way down, but with such a large ship and only eighty people that wasn't uncommon. They found only one person in the Control Interface Room when they got there.

"Dr. Rush," Brooks said callously when she walked in. Rush looked up from his console and looked inquisitively at her.

"Major Brooks?" he guessed. She nodded in response.

"I brought Dr. Lee to help with repairs," she added.

Rush nodded and grabbed his radio that was resting atop the console. "Mr. Brody, Dr. Lee is here from Earth. Please keep him busy," he said tiredly.

"Copy that. We're working on the damaged sensor array now," crackled Brody's response.

Rush looked at Lee. "There you go."

"Right," Lee said hesitantly. He turned to go and then looked back. "Where is that?"

Rush sighed impatiently. "Corporal, would you please escort him?" She nodded and led him down the hall. Brooks stayed under the threshold to the room and stared seriously at him. He didn't ignore her look. "Can I help you, Major?"

"Fill me in. What's going on?" she said urgently, a cold tone in her voice.

Rush looked down to his console as it beeped. He stood from his seat, grabbed his radio and began to walk out of the room. "Come with me," he added with a sigh as he was leaving. She didn't hesitate in following him, quickly catching up with him. They walked in silence as he led them to the Gate Room where the Stargate was already spinning. A few soldiers were standing ready at attention. Brooks looked worriedly at Rush. Catching her glance he allayed her fears. "It's our team dialing in from the planet."

As he said that the connection was established and the wormhole stabilized. He stood by the terminal as the Kino feed come on.

"Destiny this is Wray," she said over the Kino.

"This is Rush, go ahead," he answered on the radio.

"We've established a dialogue with the Nati and they've more than willingly agreed to give us supplies," she said, a happy tone lining her voice. "They're going to start to bring supplies over now."

"Understood," Rush said, somewhat pleased as he looked up to see the first person walk through the wormhole carrying a large container. "I'll get Mr. Brody and Volker to sort out the supplies and start using them."

"Good. Eli found a chair here on the planet. He and Chloe are studying it, and I've gotten a chance to speak to one of the leaders here."

"Well wrap it up there, Wray," Brooks suddenly spoke up.

"I'm sorry?" Wray responded in surprise.

"I'm Major Brooks." Wray blinked and changed from surprise to understanding. "I need to speak with you. Come back to the ship before the 'Gate shuts down."

Wray nodded in disappointment, but didn't argue her. "Understood. Wray out."

By now the Gate Room was filling with many people and dozens of containers. Rush grabbed his radio again. "Mr. Brody, meet me in the Gate Room please. We've received some supplies to help with repairs."

There was a short pause before the response came. "Copy that."

"Well," Rush said, placing his radio on the top of the console and walking to the nearest container, "let's see what we've got here." He pulled the container open and looked at its components. There were piles of Ancient technology in here, brand new and gleaming. They looked exactly like components that lined all the systems of Destiny, except they weren't burned out like half of the ship's counterparts were. Rush picked one up and admired it.

At that point the Gate Room was getting crowded with the supplies as people kept flooding through the Stargate. A minute later, Wray walked through and the 'Gate shut off behind her. She looked around to see all of the containers filling the room and seemed a bit surprised. She walked up to Rush who was still inspecting the supplies.

"Rush, dial the 'Gate and send them back for the next run," she said.

He looked at her with an expression that betrayed his satisfaction at the success of the mission and walked to the terminal. The 'Gate was spinning again before too long. Major Brooks approached Wray through the maze that was the Gate Room due to all of the containers.

"We need to talk," she said quietly to her. Wray nodded as the room was again filled with the bright light of the Stargate. She looked at the people that had brought the supplies over and saw them off through the 'Gate before she acknowledged Brooks.

They turned to watch Brody, Volker, and Lee arrive. They joined Rush in inspecting the supplies, and Volker especially showed excitement in seeing the equipment they had long been in need of.

"These are the exact components that we've needed!" Volker exclaimed. "We can probably get the shields and weapons working at full capability with these. I guess they really do use Ancient technology."

"Well why don't you go get started?" Rush said, trying to curb his excitement. Volker didn't let Rush's grimmer mood ruin his, and he happily helped Brody carry a large container with parts out of the room.

"Dr. Rush!" someone called from the other side of the Gate Room. "These containers here are filled with food and water."

Rush walked over to inspect it. He nodded when he saw several large boxes filled with water jugs, fruits, and vegetables. "Good, take those down to the Mess. We can probably grow some more on our own in Hydroponics with the seeds." Rush walked back over to the containers with equipment and examined the supplies.

"So how long are you staying this time?" Wray asked suddenly. Brooks just stared at her. Wray walked up the spiral staircase and situated herself on the mezzanine, watching over the room without letting anyone else hear her. Brooks followed her. "They made it seem Tabitha would be the one to replace, but they didn't confirm it either."

More of the crew walked in and began carrying off the supplies to the compartments Rush told them it needed to go to. She stood straight and looked to face Wray. "Consider this your confirmation."


Chloe leaned against the wall as Eli was still experimenting on the Chair's systems. She watched him work, but was constantly distracted whenever she saw the device glowing on his temple. She couldn't get rid of the feeling that they weren't quite safe here. She knew that these people weren't the aliens, but some fears go deep. She turned to gaze into the Gate Room as Wray stepped through the Stargate, and watched it disengage the next moment. She noticed Tarym standing at the bottom of the ramp and she walked up to him.

"Tarym," she said, getting his attention, "I'm sorry to ask, but," she hesitated, "where did you get this device?" she asked, touching the device on her temple.

He smiled and turned to her. "Come with me." He walked off down a door at the other end of the room and continued through a short corridor before reaching a room much like the Control Interface Room. He walked to one of the consoles and activated a holographic display. "Two years ago, we encountered these ships." The ship displayed was from the aliens that had kidnapped her. She cringed slightly upon seeing it. Tarym did not notice this and continued. "Three of them appeared above our world and we greeted them. They attacked one of our ships and took some of its crew hostage. As we are the protectors of the Lords' temple we had no choice but to destroy them." He pressed several buttons and the display showed a plethora of small devices. "We recovered a great deal of technology which we applied to our lives." He deactivated the display. "They have not bothered us since."

Chloe's spirit lifted immensely when she heard that they were gone, but quickly fell again as she realized that they had reached this galaxy already and more could still be on the way. She shook off her feelings and thought about something he had just told her. "You mentioned a temple?" she asked. He merely nodded inquisitively. "Is this it? The building that has the Stargate, the Ring?"

He looked even more puzzled. "No, the temple resides underground. No one has ever entered as it is forbidden. We have found these temples on planets across the galaxy, and we are designated their protectors." Chloe looked up and thought about things, but he interrupted her. "We had hoped that upon the Lords' return, we would learn their purpose," he said, moving towards her with a curious expression.

She heard the Stargate activate in the Gate Room and Tarym walked off in that direction with Chloe by his side. He still watched her, waiting for an answer.

"Honestly," she started, "we don't know."

He walked into the Gate Room and watched his people return. His gaze was one of confusion and puzzlement. He turned back to Chloe. "How can you not know, if you are one of the Lords?" he asked bluntly.

She felt trapped and didn't know the best way to respond. She figured the truth was the best. "We aren't the makers of Destiny. We boarded it four years ago in an accident," she confessed. "Our home is on the other side of the universe, but we were made by the Ancients, your Lords, as well," she paused. "The Ancients died out thousands of years ago, but most of them learned to ascend, to live as energy."

Tarym glazed over her and seemed to be in deep thought. His people continued to walk down the ramp, and the 'Gate soon shut down. More supplies were brought in and one of the Nati pulled out a dialing remote. Tarym grabbed the remote from him without warning and stormed out of the room. He peeled off the device from his forehead and shouted something in his native tongue. All of the Nati in the room followed him out. Greer lumbered out of the Neural Interface Room, confusion written all over his face.

"What the hell just happened?" he asked as Eli, Scott, and James walked out after him.

Chloe looked dumbfounded and just stood at the bottom of the ramp. "I have no idea."

Before anyone could go to investigate Tarym returned with at least ten Nati. These men were different. All of them had thicker black uniforms and each carried a small curved rod in their hands. They looked a whole lot like guns. Tarym had replaced his translator device and gazed at Chloe and the others with contempt.

Scott spoke first. "What's going on here?" His weapon was raised as were Greer's and James', and Chloe had backed up to stand beside Eli.

Tarym said nothing. He nodded slightly, and with an orange light Chloe felt a sensation of electrocution before passing out.


"Everett," O'Neill started, disappointment in his voice as he leaned back in his chair, "you're out there, billions of light-years away from here. Do you think that maybe you could stop meeting so many humans?" he finished sarcastically.

Young was sitting in O'Neill's office. Ryder had left to go to the IOA as soon as he arrived and he went to the General's office instead. He had just finished related the most recent news to him. "Well for the record, General, it wasn't our fault this time," he said recalling the Novus colony. "Dr. Rush says that he found a record left behind by a Seed Ship that confirms the Ancients created life on that planet."

"They do that a lot, don't they?" O'Neill quipped. He looked down at his watch and then sighed. "He's late."

Young furrowed his brow. "Sir?"

As he said that a bright white light filled the space to O'Neill's right, and the next second Telford was standing there. Young stood quickly and smiled. "David, it's damn good to see you again." He walked up to his friend and extended his hand.

"Everett, I told you I'd still be here," Telford returned, shaking his hand warmly.

"And moving upward maybe?" Young said.

Telford smiled uncomfortably. "No, not exactly. But that's more so by choice."

"He's passed up a commission as commander on a 304 a dozen times by now," O'Neill threw in testily. "He'd rather spend his time sitting waiting for a stone connection," he grumbled.

Telford looked back at the General. "You know that I just want to stay on Earth for the time being." As he turned to O'Neill, he folded his arms and Young got a look on his hand. There was a small glint of light on his left hand. Young started and looked up at him, and Telford noticed his surprise.

"You're married?" Young said, a smile on his face. "Well when did this happen? I never really saw you as the commitment type."

Telford got more uncomfortable at that. "About a year after you entered stasis."

"Anyone I know?" Young joked. Telford flushed and seemed to get even more upset with the course of the discussion. "David, you okay?"

Telford lightly nodded his head. "Yeah, I guess." He sighed and looked apologetically to Young. "Before you and Emily divorced," he started, "I visited her to help her out emotionally. She felt alone, torn apart, and I knew you wanted her to feel safe. After you divorced, and a few months of you being in stasis, we started to see each other more." He stared back at Young who sat expressionless. "Look, Everett, I'm sorry."

"No," Young said quickly, no tone in his voice. "No, it's fine. I'm really glad you're happy. I knew I couldn't be there for her." He let a small smile break through. "I'm just glad someone could."

Telford grinned, seeming relieved. "Oh, isn't this touching?" O'Neill said, getting back the attention of the two soldiers. "Can we get back to the debriefing? Please?"

They both looked apologetically at the General. "So," Telford said, regaining his seriousness, "it looks like you managed to get to the next galaxy without too much of a problem."

Young grinned, his mind back on the discussion as well. "No, I wish I could say that. The ship's still out of sorts and our food stores are low, but for now we're alive." He paused as he reflected on Rush's actions. "But the good news, as I just told the General, is that we found some rather friendly people. They've agreed to supply us with some materials and equipment."

Telford looked from the General and back to Young. He smiled but could tell that something was eating at Young. "That's great news, Everett, but what's up?"

Young sighed and leaned in. "I've run into some problems with…" He stopped himself right there as he felt his mind yanked from Lee's body and replaced back in his own. He looked around quickly. Barnes was sitting at her laptop, holding his stone in a gloved hand. Wray and Brooks were standing next to him, their countenances not exactly the warm 'Welcome back' ones' he had hoped to see. "What is it?" he said immediately, shaking off his disorientation and standing to face them.

Wray looked deeply worried, almost scared. "We have a problem. Come to the Control Room."

Brooks marched off first quickly and Young ran after her, Wray catching up slower behind them. They ran into the Control Interface Room where Rush was sitting with Brody and Volker, and none of them looked any better than Wray or Brooks. The holographic display was activated, and instead of a blue dot that had occupied the space in front of Destiny, there was now a pulsating red dot.

"Will someone please tell me what the hell is going on?" he said impatiently, directing most of the venom in his voice to Rush. He responded by pressing one button on his console and standing back from it. Young walked up and saw it was a recording from a Kino. Wray stretched out her hand to Young. It held the translator she had from the Nati. He gingerly took it and attached it to his temple, upon which Rush played the video.

There was no one in front. Quietly Tarym stepped in front and spoke resolutely. "For your acts of deception, your people have been taken our prisoners," he started. The unconscious bodies of five people were shown, sprawled on the floor of a holding room. Tarym stood in front of them now. "You are not our Lords, and you have stolen the devotion that was meant for them. For these acts, we have no choice but to ensure that you no longer defile their technology. We will come for you in numbers, and ensure your annihilation."


On the next all new episode of Stargate Universe. The crew of Destiny has become the target of a holy war, and some of the crew have become the prisoners of the crusaders. Now the crew must all stand together and fight to save themselves from the oncoming onslaught.