As quickly as the paradise of Celestia had presented itself to Laura Cadman and Doctor Carson Beckett, paradise was lost with the crackling sound of Wraith Darts, and Carson remained in a state of pure shock as his beloved Laura had been whisked away in a transporter beam.

"Oh, dear lord, Laura," he muttered as he watched the Dart dash away overhead, but then, the Wraith Dart had quickly swooped around, heading back for him. Carson ran for the treeline hoping to make it into the thick forest. He ran as fast as he could, which reminded him of his days as a young man charging down the hills near the Becket family home, racing with his friends. Carson rarely won those races back then, but now, he had fear pulsating his adrenal system into full throttle, and he made it into the forest, but the Dart was closing in on him. The beam from the Dart was thrashing the leaves about like a force of wind. Even in the thick wooded forest, Carson was far from safe. The Dart had a lock on him, and the beam was about to reach for him. Making a last ditched attempt to escape the beam, Carson launched himself in a sideways charge of a jump. It was exactly the sort of thing he had learned over the years from Sheppard, and it was what kept Carson on Celestia as the the beam swooped by, missing him, soaring off in its missed attempt to capture him.

Teyla and Ronon had still been sightseeing when a familiar sound pierced the sky. It sparked reaction from both Ronon and Teyla; although their responses were different, they had similarities. Ronon's nature of being a Runner kicked in and he quickly drew his weapon and searched his surroundings for a target. He shot a deathly scowl at Teyla, his teeth showing in anger.

"Wraith Darts," he growled in a beastly manner.

Teyla's reaction, however, was to quickly contact Dr. Beckett and Lieutenant Cadman. She quickly radioed to the two.

"Doctor Beckett, Lieutenant Cadman," she said excitedly, "this is Teyla. There are Wraith Darts above; please, report."

Teyla looked at Ronon who appeared as if he were about to run off in his own personally justified vengeance. She glared at him.

"Ronon," she reasoned, "we have to stay together. We must report back to Atlantis and evacuate the Celestians."

A radio response came through from Carson, but it was static. Teyla attempted once more.

"Doctor Beckett, is that you? I can hardly hear you."

Carson had heard Teyla's voice calling for him. His first attempt to respond did not go as planned; there was a persistent static that was causing communications to be nearly impossible. He moved out into the open and tried again.

"Aye, lass, it is," he replied. "I'm afraid your warning is too late, Teyla; they have Lieutenant Cadman."

Carson felt as if his heart had sunk into the depths of his body reporting Laura's abduction. He took a brief moment to clear his head, to push the thoughts of Lieutenant Cadman aside and focus on his duties as a member of the Atlantis Expedition.

"We need to contact Atlantis," he asserted, "and we need to get these people to safety immediately. I'll meet you two at the gate."

After hearing what Carson had reported, Teyla felt a sensation come over her. She hadn't known Lieutenant Cadman all that well, but a member of the Atlantis Expedition had been taken, and it was under Teyla's watch. She and Ronon were sent to watch over Cadman and Beckett, and now, Lieutenant Cadman had been taken by the Wraith. She shot a look at Ronon.

"Come," she said sternly but with a tenderness serving as an undertone. "They have Cadman, but we need to get to the gate. Dr. Beckett is already on his way."

Teyla armed herself with a P-90 as Ronon moved closer to her. It was a mutual agreement to move out. Teyla gave a nod, and Ronon grunted.

They headed to the gate to contact Atlantis and meet up with Dr. Beckett. Teyla slowed in her tracks causing Ronon to slow himself down before he ran into his comrade and friend.

"What?" he asked, as she looked around. He, too, sensed someone near. The two remained quiet, waiting and watching. Suddenly a small group of Celestians ran into view, a woman with two children. They were being chased by a Wraith who shot at the woman, the mother of the children. She fell to the ground in pain, and both Teyla and Ronon could see the terror on the woman's face as she urged her children to continue running for their lives. The Wraith took his victim and began to feed. The small children ran to Teyla and sought sanctuary wrapped around her thighs. The children were about to turn their heads and look at their mother who was being fed upon, and Teyla applied pressure to their heads, compassionately preventing them from witnessing their mother's final moments.

The Wraith let go of his victim, and Ronon took the shot, killing the Wraith. He ran toward the woman, or what was left of her. She was still breathing, nearing death. The Wraith had nearly taken everything from her but wasn't generous enough to end her pain by feeding from her fully. The woman's chilling eyes were looking into his own, and pain and sadness were frozen in them. Her face showed signs of terror. She gasped, trying to say something to Ronon, but she hadn't the strength to say it loud enough for him to hear it. He approached her closer, crouching to his knees, and heard her last words. He groaned in agony as he realized that this woman was a warrior like him. She was to die saving her kids, the same way Ronon felt that he should have. With her words spoken, Ronon placed his hand around her neck, and with a forceful clenching, a powerful grip, he crushed her trachea, granting her final words for him to end her suffering and to ensure her children survive. Ronon then squeezed the woman's hand.

"They will be safe," he promised her, and she faded away as a strong woman. Ronon would do everything he could, dying if he had to in order to keep his promise to the woman. He got back to his feet and looked at Teyla, shaking his head. Teyla kept the small girl close to her as they continued to the gate. Ronon, on the other hand, carried the boy over his shoulder.

As the two of them arrived at the stargate, Carson was just arriving himself, coming out from the forest east of the stargate. Ronon sat the boy near the DHD, and the small girl departed from Teyla's side and sought the comfort of her brother's embrace. The two small children embraced in a sibling bounding while Beckett began to dial Atlantis. He shot a glance back at Teyla and Ronon who were both on watch for Wraith, covering Carson's back.

"Their parents?" he asked solemnly.

Teyla shot a glance over her shoulder. "We don't know about the father," she said quickly, returning her gaze the the treeline, expecting Wraith to surface.

"The mother died saving the children," Ronon followed up, grunting. "She was too far gone, fed upon."

He then spotted Wraith surfacing from the forest.

"Doctor!" he shouted to Carson, demanding that the man move faster.

Carson gulped and began to do so.

"Aye," he replied, "I'm working on it, Ronon, but I can't move any bloody faster."

Carson dialed the last chevron, and the stargate activated, establishing a wormhole.

"Sending our IDC," he confirmed.

It was then that he heard a feminine groan as Teyla fell to the ground after being stunned. Ronon fired back, and Carson lifted Teyla up and headed through the stargate with the children and Ronon in tow.