"How much longer are we gonna have to wait around for this guy?" Rodney whined.

Sheppard and Teyla exchanged a glance as Ronon sighed irritably. It was not the first time since they had sat down that McKay had asked that question. Setting down his wooden mug of cider on the rough-hewn timber table, the Colonel rolled his eyes.

"Look, Rodney, Teyla's guy said he had intel we need to know. Now, I don't want to waltz out of here just because you're bored and possibly miss out on some vital info, do you?"

"If it really was that important, don't you think he would have turned up on time?"

Teyla's eyelids did that fluttering thing that meant she was reaching the limits of her patience. "Doctor McKay, I have known Tallan for a long time, and he was a good friend of my father's even before I was born. He has always been a cautious man, but dependable. He will be here."

Rodney finally seemed to measure the danger in her tone and fell silent, mulling over the dregs of his own cider.

About another half-hour passed, as the team sat quietly, keeping a subtle watch over the other patrons in the crowded inn. Finally, they were approached by a cloaked man in nondescript clothes with greying hair.

"Teyla," he greeted in a quiet, gravelly voice. "It has been many days."

"Too many," Teyla agreed in a low voice.

"I don't have much time, so let's skip the introductions," Tallan said with barely a glance at the rest of AR-1. "Word is the Lanteans have provided many people of the galaxy with a new world to shelter on, protected from both Wraith and Replicator."

"Well, we wouldn't know anything about that," Sheppard said evasively.

Tallan growled. "Don't take me for a fool, Colonel. Whether you admit it or not matters little, what's important is that you be prepared to defend this world."

Teyla's brow furrowed as she turned her head to glance at John before focusing back on her friend. "Tallan, what have you heard?"

"Wraith worshipers have made their way to Protegat, and you can bet their masters won't be far behind." Tallan stood abruptly, disappearing into the crowd in a flash of his cloak.

"Oh, crap," Rodney breathed.

John leapt to his feet, Ronon following suit. "We have to get back to Atlantis immediately."


As the wormhole winked out behind them, Sheppard and his team were already bolting up the stairs.

"How'd it go?" Colonel Carter asked as they pulled up next to her.

"Dial Protegat!" Sheppard ordered.

"Colonel, do you want to tell me what's going on?" Carter pressed.

"There are wraith worshipers on Protegat," Teyla answered tersely.

Carter's eyes widened for a brief moment before her head snapped to look at Chuck. "Do it."

Nodding, Chuck began dialling out, but before the wormhole could be established, the entered sequence flashed out, immediately replaced with the Atlantis gate address as someone else dialled in.

"Incoming wormhole," Chuck announced as the new wormhole kawooshed into existence. "Receiving the Protegan High Command IDC."

Sheppard and Carter exchanged a glance as Justicer Xerath's voice rang through their radios.

"This is Magister Protector Justicer Xerath calling Atlantis base on behalf of the Protegan people in accordance with the Comminatio Protocol. Colonel Carter, if you can hear me, respond immediately."

Sam hit the button to open the channel. "Justicer Xerath, we hear you. We were about to dial out to you-"

"Colonel, the Wraith are bearing down on Protegat. I am officially invoking the Joint Defence clause of our treaty."

"We heard there were wraith worshipers on Protegat, but we didn't know how far out the Wraith themselves are," Carter responded as Sheppard radioed Major Lorne.

"They will be here in six days," Xerath's voice was taught with stress.

"Justicer, this is Colonel Sheppard," John said, "how many ships do they have?"

"One Hive, five Cruisers."

Sheppard nodded to Carter, indicating she should take over, as Lorne arrived and John left with his second-in-command, running defensive strategies past each other, heading for the armoury.

"...Obviously the weapons platforms are the main point of defence, but we'll bring all the railguns and Puddlejumpers we can," John said as they entered the armoury, a team of marines now in tow.

"The Daedalus is currently in orbit, and the Apollo's not far out either," Major Lorne reminded him.

"Right, Caldwell can ship some heavy artillery for us, but for now we'll take what we can in the jumpers."

The marines fanned out, packing up crates of weapons and ammunition.

"I want everyone who participated in any of the War Games ops we ran with the Protegan military, and anyone else we can spare," Sheppard said as he helped pack up one of the portable railguns.

"Yes, sir." Major Lorne immediately got on radio, calling all the military teams currently on base apart from the security officers.

"Tell them to rally in the Jumper Bay," John called back to the Major as he finished packing the railgun, and two marines started wheeling it out to the Gate Room. "And get a couple more teams here to help bring the railguns through on foot!"

"Yes, sir."


While the Daedalus was able to beam aboard weapons and supplies and depart immediately, it took a few hours for Sheppard and Lorne to recall all off-world personnel, gather the combat engineers, and marshal their forces. They ended up with twenty portable railguns, with the Daedalus transporting an additional ten, and eight Puddlejumpers, as well as every marine and airman on base.

Rodney was pale but determined as he took the co-pilot seat in Jumper One. John bit his lip as he watched the physicist fiddle nervously with his vest pockets, checking and double-checking his gear, but refrained from pointing out, again, that McKay didn't have to come.

Teyla, sitting behind Rodney, slid the cock on her P90, engaging the first round, while Ronon set his blaster to kill. The team was ready.

Glancing back to confirm the marines in the rear compartment were settled, Sheppard commed the control room. "Jumper One is ready."

"Jumper Two is ready," Lorne radioed.

"Jumper Three is ready." The jumpers sounded off consecutively, then Chuck responded.

"Gate Room floor is clear. Jumper One, you have a go."

McKay dialled the gate and sent through their IDC for Protegat's Gate Control. When the GDO beeped back confirmation the Protegan Iris had been opened, Sheppard piloted the jumper down through the open Gate Room roof, and through the Stargate.

AN: As you may have guessed, this is the Big One I've been working on for the last four years. It's taken me far longer than I thought it would and went further than I anticipated, and I hope you all enjoy the end product.