Disclaimers: The usual, I own no part of this world, except the parts I made up!

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The ship hummed a steady beat beneath the floor of the Council chamber. The Hunter stood straight and tall before the ten leaders of her people. She longed to shift her weight and relieve the cramp in her left leg, but she dared not show weakness. She was one of only a few honoured enough to be able to directly approach the Council and she focused on maintaining an appearance of strength and conviction.

The room referred to as the Council Chamber was one of the largest on the battleship, other than the Bridge – yet in Hunter style it was pretty small and basic. The only indication of the room's importance was the massive Hunter banner that hung on the wall behind the Council. The Council sat on simple ordinary chairs before a plain table. Status in their society depended on your skills and your value to your fellow Hunters. She felt great admiration and humility standing before these great Hunters. They were the most honoured, skilled and experienced of their people and yet they sat behind the same type of table as she had in her office back at the colony. Pride flared up inside her again.

The chairman of the Council leaned forward, her eyes dull yet focused in the half light of the chamber. "What was her status after the procedure?"

"She was unconscious, which is usual. She will be in a deep sleep for several more days. But, initial readings taken before she was removed from the pool were very satisfying. She scored extremely high readings."

The chairman sat back. "We understand from your report that you were threatened by the military leader of Atlantis?"

"He threatened our Alliance agreement, not me directly. I believe he was motivated by concern for Teyla. As I stated in my report, I believe they share a close relationship."

"That could present a problem. We believe it would be best to remove her from Atlantis as soon as possible. We will leave it up to your discretion in what way you achieve this. If she is to become a Hunter she must break all past connections."

"Yes, Hunter."

Another council member leaned forward, his one remaining eye focused on her. "Have they mentioned their retrovirus yet?"

"No, Hunter. I have many Hunters working with their medical staff and especially with their chief Doctor. They are instructed to ask the right questions. I believe they are waiting till they trust us before they mention it."

One Council member at the end of the table slammed his hand down on the table.

"Disgusting weapon! What cowards! To reduce the Wraith down to simple weak humans! They should make themselves stronger, not-"

"Yes, we have discussed this earlier and we are in agreement with you, Hunter." The chairman cut in.

The Council as a whole seemed to be rolling their eyes at the angry Hunter. He had a long reputation for being this way. In accordance with Hunter society, there were no personal names. Hunters existed to fight the Wraith, not to form personal relationships. There were no personal names; no Hunter wanted them. Their status was displayed by their armour for all to see, that was all the individual attention any Hunter wanted. To do otherwise would distract them from their goal – to destroy the Wraith. Names had no importance. You knew who your superior was and you followed their instructions.

Yet, she had heard many nicknames for various Hunters. This Council member was affectionately known as 'Grumpy'. She suppressed a smile as she kept her attention focused on the Council's discussion.

"They are weak and that is how they fight the Wraith. The only way they can defeat them is to bring the Wraith down to their level. They should be commended for at least trying to fight the Wraith, unlike so many others."

This came from a council member who sat rather symbolically at the other end of the table. He was a tall, distinguished looking Hunter. His handsome face was only made more so in her opinionby the large scar that stretched from his hairline down to his chin, narrowly missing his right eye.

She decided she should add something to this discussion. "From my observation, the Atlantis team are skilled and worthy warriors. Their expanding knowledge of the Ancestor technology is impressive and will be vital to our success."

The chairman sat forward. "You have included a short description of the city of Atlantis. When will our people be able to begin working there?"

"I have completed discussions with their leader, Dr Weir. With your final permission, I can sign the Alliance tomorrow. After that we should be allowed to post several teams in Atlantis. We have already identified several Hunters with the Ancestor's genetic code who should be able to use their technology."

"Good. However, we have some new instructions for you. If this Alliance stays strong then all the good for us however, if it fails we need to ensure we gain all that we can from them. Therefore, you will instruct your people stationed in Atlantis to begin a subtle and thorough valuation of the city's security as well as its technology. You will deliver a full report in one week."

The Hunter finally shifted her weight and the pain in her leg faded somewhat. "Hunter, should I be looking for weaknesses in their security?"

The chairman sat back into the gloomy lighting of the chamber.

"Your report will include suggestions of how to capture and hold the City of Atlantis if such an action becomes necessary."

TBC

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