John was ready for the mission, he had on his full mission gear, the vest, the gun, and the uniform. He walked through the hallways into the gate-room, the footfalls of his heavy boots making a satisfying clomp in the narrow hall. He burst up the steps quickly toward the meeting room, awaiting yet another mission briefing.

He sauntered confidently across the control platform into the meeting room where McKay and Ronon were waiting. Ronon was wearing his usual rugged outfit with is gun strapped to his side, but Mckay was still in his work clothes and not in mission gear. John's happy mood evaporated when he saw Dr. Weir's expression. She looked worried, like she became when making a tough decision.

"What happened?" he asked, his intuition telling him that he wouldn't like what he was about to hear. The doors behind him shuttered, which meant the proceedings were intended to be secret.

"Well, nothing happened." McKay said, "It's just that we've learned a little more about the purpose of the weapon we're supposed to find."

"What about it," There was a chair available across from Weir which he plopped down in.

"The device is far more dangerous than we thought," Weir said.

"Isn't that a good thing?" John asked.

McKay shook his head solemnly, "It's a device similar to the one found in the milky way galaxy which helped the SGC defeat the replicators, except this is programmed to work with wraith."

"Woah," John said as the old mission reports he'd read months ago were dredged up. "That's the device which could disintegrate living matter?"

"Yes," Weir said, "And this one works the same way, except only on wraith."

That kind of power could end the wraith immediately, so what were they worried about?

"You don't need much imagination to understand what that kind of destruction it could cause if it were to fall into the wrong hands." Weir said. "And the truth is, I don't think anyone is capable of safely wielding that weapon, not even us."

"I can imagine it already," Mckay said. "The boys at the SGC, not to mention the IOA and whatever other secret organizations there are would have their own quiet war to try to take control of it. And there is information to suggest that it could be re-programmed to work with other species, or specific racial groups."

"Wait," Sheppard said, "Do they know about it?"

"No," Weir answered. "McKay, Ronon myself and you are the only ones that we're aware of."

He looked to each of them, a little bit confused about what was bothering them. "So what's the problem?"

"A device capable of disintegrating living matter," Weir repeated with emphasis.

"I got that, but seriously, why is that a bad thing?"

"Because it brings to mind genocide and a lot of other nasty-things," McKay said.

"So we'll only use it against the wraith." It hit him as he said that, how that would sound to somebody who didn't know what wraith were and what they did. Also, if the any secret organization on Earth were to get word of it, there could be very bad consequences. He liked to imagine he could trust everybody assigned to the expedition, but he knew that wasn't the case. But how could he give up something like this?

Weir was looking at him worriedly. Her stare made him uncomfortable. What did she want? Didn't she think those wraith bastards deserved worse than that?

"Officially," Weir said, "I'm canceling the mission for 'reasonable suspicion of threat to safety.' I haven't submitted my report to the SGC yet, and that explanation should hold if I remain vague about why we were initially interested in that planet."

"It's still out there," Ronon added.

"What are we going to do?" John asked, "Ignore it?"

Dr. Weir leaned forward, addressing all three of them. "What do you think we should do about it?"

Each member around the table looked from one to the other, waiting for an argument or more reasoning.

"Well, let's go find it," John suggested, "get there before anyone else does."

"I suggest we leave it," Weir said.

"Don't forget that it's still just sitting out there," McKay said. "Anyone can find it and use it for themselves. Although it has been sitting there for over ten thousand years, and if it's been hidden that long, I doubt anyone is going to stumble across it tomorrow."

"There has never been this many wraith before," Ronon said.

"I agree," Weir said. "I don't think the wraith have ever been this determined against a common enemy in a very long time. We need to exercise extreme caution."

"Well then we go there to check it out," McKay suggested. "Just the three of us; we go there, search for any useful information, then disable the weapon."

"But not permanently" John added.

That comment garnered a worried look from Weir, which he countered with an innocent shrug.

"I know we may have the best of intentions," Weir said, "but can we really justify wielding that kind of weapon? We also can't guarantee that somebody, even from earth won't try to use the weapon against other people, or a specific race of people. This would be off the record. I can't order you to do anything, so you can decide for yourself."

John sat back in his chair, thinking. It was a huge decision to make. On one hand there was the potential to wipe out the wraith threat completely, but on the other was the responsibility and potential for a lot of destruction, and a lot of people dead.

"let's take care of it," John said.

"Then please," Weir begged, "proceed with caution."


_-iIi-_

The sun had risen over the treetops, irritating her eyes and causing her to squint. She had always preferred nighttime and dim light, just like the others of her kind did. She supposed it was genetic, and that there was nothing to be done about it.

She traveled onward because she had to, even though the light became more blinding with each passing minute.

They had found a stream to follow, the same one she'd seen from above which led straight to the stargate. They were still a day's journey outside of the settlement and wouldn't arrive there until this time tomorrow if they kept on through the night. She knew it would be necessary to wait half a day to time their arrival by night, that way they wouldn't be seen.

Teyla had taken immediately to the journey, walking ahead and breaking the trail. She was agile on her feet and had excellent endurance.

They came to a wooded spot where the stream went around a bend and resumed path on the other side. The shade of the trees offered her comfort, hiding the blinding rays of the sun.

"Teyla," she called. Teyla stopped and turned around.

"I need to stay in the shade"

"What's the matter?" Teyla asked, showing concern. She wondered for a moment why Teyla would show such concern when she realized her face was streaked with tears from the sunlight.

"The sunlight," she said. "My kind is not meant for it. I will need to camp here for the rest of the day to pass through the village at night. That way I reach the stargate unseen. You can go on if you wish," she said to Teyla. "It's possible you could pass through without incident."

Teyla hesitated for a brief moment. "I feel weary as well, I will rest here until nightfall."


-_iIi_-

Teyla ignored the cold water which ran around her feet and ankles. She stood perfectly still, waiting and watching. The sun had begun to set behind the trees, leaving less glare on the water's surface and allowing her view of the bottom. She had seen a few fish swim by to her right and to her left, just out of reach.

Her own need for food reminded her of one very disturbing fact about this wraith. Even after all she had done for her, she was still a wraith. Teyla knew eventually she would need to feed in order to survive. It just didn't add up though; she couldn't have gone through all that she had just to be a means of sustenance for her.

A fish came into view, lightly swimming against the stream and allowing itself to be pushed backward by the current. The fish was unable to see Teyla, and swam right to where her hands were waiting. She grabbed the fish by its belly and by the portion just before its tail and pulled it quickly out of the water, holding the large animal tightly against herself to battle its valiant attempts to kick itself free.

The fish was beautiful, shiny and well proportioned with slight hues of pink mixed with the green of its back; its size could allow a decent meal for several.

She trudged clumsily through the water and back to shore, clinging tightly to her catch. On the shore, the fire she had kindled earlier still burned on the rocks. Teyla set the fish down on a clean area. She froze, chills following her spine, partly from the water but also when she remembered the knife she'd been given. She drew her coat open and retrieved the sheathed knife. Her mind gave her the urge to throw it as far away as possible, to avoid thinking about that horrible time, but she really could use it.

She drew out the knife and looked it over, the light from the sun poking through the tree trunks glinted off the jagged blade and into her eyes. She ignored the thought and set to work cleaning the fish.

Teyla looked up the shore a little ways and could still see the wraith, seeming to rest against a tree with her eyes closed. She spared a second in a dozen to make sure she hadn't moved. Her mind kept coming back to the knife she had kept, and each time, she resolved she wouldn't use it unless she was forced to defend herself.

Teyla cooked the fish on a flat rock placed on the fire, and considering the limited tools the meal turned out very acceptable. After it had cooled, she took the thin slab of rock she had placed the two fillets on and carried it toward the trees. She walked up the bank to an area within sight of where the wraith had fallen asleep. The wraith awoke at her approach, not moving and looking very tired.

"I found food," Teyla said, finding a comfortable tree to lean against.

"So you have," the wraith said, her face blank as though not completely awake.

Nightfall was approaching, and a few stars began to appear, two small moons coming into view casting dim white light all around. Teyla thought about walking out on her own, but the thought of losing sight of the wraith made her uneasy. She was sure she could find the village on her own, the shores of the stream were littered with evidence of people and old foot trails snaking through the woods. Her fear was of being surprised later. If this wraith would attack her, she wanted to be right there to know about it. As the adage said, 'keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.'

"There's enough for two," She said cautiously, "if you want it."

The wraith stirred, and sat up. She glanced upward at the moons, her eyes reflecting a strange green from the light. "You have grown fearful of me," the wraith said through the dark. Teyla didn't bother to wonder how she knew that.

"You are wraith. How can I ignore your means of sustenance?"

"Are you afraid that I will harm you?"

"I don't believe you will harm me." She considered everything that had happened to her in the past few days and everything this wraith had done for her. The two feelings conflicted with each other, vying for resolution. "How can I reconcile what you are? If it's not me, then someone else will have to die in order for you to live."

"And what would you do if it came to that?" she asked.

Teyla was torn about what she would say, but she knew what was right.

"I would try to stop you."

The gusting breeze which had been whispering all afternoon stopped abruptly, leaving a complete silence.

"You are something unique, Teyla. You don't want to see anybody harmed, but neither do you wish to harm me. You have much capacity for love, as well as bravery."

"Thank you," Teyla said wonderingly. "I suppose I could say the same about you. You are certainly not like any other wraith that I know of."

"You do not need to fear that I would harm someone, I do not require to feed to stay alive. And to answer your earlier offer, yes, I would appreciate it."