A/N: My apologies. Although I have been dreading 'the mission' chap since the beginning of this fic (so not my forte) it seems to just beg to be a two parter, so you're going to have to wait a wee bit longer till we get this whole 'who are these kids' thing straightened out. :)

Disclaimer: See chapter 1 or 5. Your choice, personally, I prefer 1.

Chapter Ten – Just Lucky I Guess

When SGA1 walked into the jumper bay they found their new allies were already present.

The youngest boy and the dark-haired girl were sitting side-by-side on the ground near jumper 1, heads bent in deep, private conversation. The eldest boy and the blonde girl were quietly discussing something on a tablet they both shared and off to the side and back the girl with the wild hair was fingering her gun and shifting her weight restlessly . Every now and then she would bounce on the balls of her feet and would sometimes reach for the rather large looking weapon in her thigh holster only to stop and snatch her hand away again, tightening it into a fist instead.

John absently checked the clip on his p-90 and brought up the rear of his group as they made their way across the jumper bay. Lorne fell into step beside him halfway.

"We're all set, Major?"

"Yes, sir. Completed the pre-mission checks myself. Jumpers 3 and5 just got back from their 'Search and Destroy' missions and Michael's cruiser is 2 hours out on a direct heading for M95-H26," he reported, checking the clip on his own p-90.

John nodded, "Great, if we get lucky we might beat him there."

Lorne smiled and raised an eyebrow, "Us lucky, sir?"

"Don't rain on my parade, Major."

"No sir."

The Yanarins joined them at the back of Jumper 1, mixing with the group of 'Lanteans in a way that seemed natural, and therefore, unsettling.

"You guys ready?" John directed his question at Jorain but it was Cam who stepped forward, her hand resting easily on her gun, an energy weapon like Ronon's but more sleek and light.

"Are you kidding? Let's go kick some hybrid-"

"Yes, Colonel. We are ready." Jorain cut her off and Cam frowned. He gave her a slightly warning glare and she rolled her eyes, stepping onto the jumper. Her team followed behind, nodding a greeting at the 'Lanteans as they passed, and the rest of the Atlantis team followed on after them.

"Our guys finished their low level attacks on Michael's labs and his cruiser is on a direct heading for the planet," John said, bringing everyone up to speed.

"So I was right." Rodney said, smiling smugly from his co-pilot's chair.

"Yes Rodney, you were right." John muttered.

From the chairs behind them Jorain and Cam exchanged a look, the rest of their two groups were leaning against the airlock between the cockpit and the cargo hold or sitting on the benches in the back.

"The space gate closest to the planet is about two hours away, and Michael's cruiser is two hours out, so we'll get there about the same time or, if we're lucky" he glanced over his shoulder at Lorne, who smiled and raised his hands in surrender, "we might beat him there."

"Good," Ronon grunted, "I don't like to wait around." A couple Yanarins nodded in agreement and Sheppard smirked.

"Easy Chewie, you'll be able to start shooting stuff soon enough," he touched his radio in his left ear, "This is Jumper One requesting permission to descend."

"Permission granted, Jumper One, the gate is dialed and ready to go," Chuck answered.

John maneuvered the ancient vehicle down into the gate room and turned so they were facing the puddle.

"Be careful," he heard Carter in his ear and he half smiled.

"Don't worry Col., I'll have everyone home before dark." And with that, they were gone.

SGASGASGASGA

"Zelenka, this is Carter, come in," She'd just sat down at her desk after seeing SGA1 and Co. off and cursed when she remembered the Czech had requested a brief meeting with her earlier.

"Yes Col, just a moment."

Carter raised her eyebrows at the response, and then realized it was because Zelenka was already on his way up to her office.

"Radek," she smiled, "I almost forgot about our meeting, but I see you didn't. How are repairs on the Yanarin ship coming?"

Zelenka, like most scientists, was almost never without a tablet, and he walked around behind the Col.'s desk to show her the one he held, "That's actually what I came to talk to you about, I already showed my findings to Rodney and he concurred."

"Concurred with what?" She peered at the screen, where a blue schematic of the Tepe was rotating slowly.

"It's Ancient."

Carter's eyes widened and she reached up and took the tablet and stylus from Radek, setting it on her desk as she scrolled through his data, "you're sure?"

"Yes. Very. In fact, the underlying architecture is not unlike our Jumpers, but it has been significantly modified."

"Modified how?"

"I am not entirely sure but I believe this may in fact be a prototype for a more advanced version of the Puddle Jumpers."

"So the Yanarin planet may have some sort of ancient research lab," Carter said, mostly to herself, "You think there could be more?" She asked, sounding almost excited.

"I do not know, anything is possible."

Carter smiled, reading over a bit more of the information before handing the device back to Radek, "well, when they get back from their mission, perhaps we can see about extending the parameters of our partnership."

Zelenka's smiled drooped a little, "how long before their first check-in?"

"There, um, won't be any. Michael would probably pick up on any kind of radio transmission."

"So…we won't know anything unless they come back."

Carter's eyes dropped from his face to the gate. She said resolutely, "until they'll come back."

SGASGASGASGA

"Okay, he beat us here by about 20 min." John announced to anyone who was listening.

"200 more meters and I'll be able to do a detailed scan of the planet," Rodney paused and after a moment the HUD blinked and appeared, "Okay, looks like I was right, he's already taken his ship into the upper atmosphere. He's going to land near the lab on the south-western continent. If we-" he was cut off by the sound of a muted explosion and is head nearly crashed against the bulkhead when the jumper jolted to one side, "What the hell was that?"

"We're under attack!"

"From whom?" Teyla shouted, holding on tightly to one of the consoles as the Jumper jerked to one side again.

"Vollys are coming from the planet." John responded, doing his best to avoid the surprisingly well aimed shots.

"But we're cloaked!" Rodney exclaimed, indignant.

"Doesn't seem to matter a whole lot, he's found some way to track us." John said through gritted teeth as another explosion rocked the small craft, "I've lost navigation and foreword sensors," the view screen turned red and then bright white they went burning into the atmosphere.

"Brace yourselves!"

SGASGASGASGA

"How long does it actually take to break into a wraith lab, kill a wraith hybrid, and break back out again? Like an hour, tops?" Jennifer looked up from her seat on the floor at her mentor. Carson stared unseeingly out ahead and she sighed heavily, blowing her bangs away from her forehead.

"I hate when he goes on these horrible, dangerous, 'I'll-be-fine-Jen-don't-worry-about-me' missions." She shook her head, bending back over her laptop where Michael's medical research information was displayed, "I just don't know what I'd do if one day he…"she trailed off, "Anyway. I don't need to worry about it because he'll come home," she glanced up, "Right?" then nodding to herself, "right. Of course."

She tried to read on but her mind was elsewhere and she wasn't retaining any of the information. Rolling her shoulders tiredly, she pushed her computer off her lap and stood, walking slowly until she was face to face with Carson. His face was lit with the green glow of the stasis chamber but his eyes were just as blue as she remembered.

Jen bit her lip, "I couldn't live without him, Carson," she said quietly, almost whispering, "he has to come home."

TBC