Disclaimers: I in no way own or gain any money from my frolic of fun in the Stargate Atlantis world.

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The nebulae swirled and danced around the fleet. The colours seemed to vibrate in every conceivable hue and shade, as the mists twirled and twisted together. The colours echoed into the Hunter Ship's bridge, highlighting the edges of the computers and Hunters within. Strange shadows seemed to shift across the walls around Teyla as she watched the changing colours seep into the bridge. It was both breathtakingly beautiful and oddly disturbing. Absently Teyla scratched at her back. She was nervous.

The further the fleet moved into the nebulae, the louder her sense of unease grew. She had fought in many battles, but this was the one to end all battles against the Wraith. They had too succeed. And so she told herself it was 'nerves' as the Earth saying went. Yet, her skin itched with trepidation, and once again she scratched at her skin through the black armour. It appeared that even the near magical properties of the armour could not keep her comfortable today.

Her eyes dropped to the readout before her. The trail of energy breadcrumbs that they had been following was still strong. Only the Wraith Queens had known the presence of such a trail and only they knew the precise frequency of energy readings to follow; until Teyla. She pressed some buttons to continue the scan, more to distract herself than for efficiency. As she did her eyes darted to one of the tiny displays beside the main 'breadcrumb' scan. She had pulled up as many small displays as possible in which to hide this one display, so that the other Hunters would not see it. She checked once again that the changes she had made had remained undetected by the Hunters around her. They still had not seen what she had done, and in truth they would be unlikely to check now on the eve of battle. She pulled her eyes quickly away from the display and made a show of studying the others.

Her mind wandered, as it had done all night long. She worried over the possible success of this battle, but she also feared for John. She had brought him onto this ship and now she had pulled him into this, possibly fatal, mission. She did not care that she may not walk away from this, but John must. So, she had taken matters into her own hands. Her eyes slid back to the tiny display again. She had sent a message to Atlantis over a week ago, but would they be able to retrieve John? She pulled up another display set to scan for any other ships in the vicinity, but whilst the Hunters were all primarily looking for Wraith ships, Teyla was looking for another. Was the Daedalus out there keeping a safe distance? Had they been able to get to the nebulae's coordinates in time? Had they even received her message? Too many questions.

"Hunters!" Called out a male Hunter from behind her.

All lifted their eyes to the forward porthole. The massive window to space was especially beautiful today with the nebulae vista. Now though the colourful clouds were parting and it seemed everyone held their breath as a small planet was revealed suddenly out of the mists.

There came a massive bustle of activity as the Hunters began to make ready for battle. But, Teyla could not draw her eyes away from the planet now circling beneath the fleet. She had seen it through so many different eyes that to see it now with her own was oddly shocking. A chorus of alien emotions danced through her. Each Queen she had stolen knowledge from had their own unique memories and thoughts of this world, but on one point all the memories agreed; fear. That fear swirled in its own complicated spirals through her, all dancing and twisting away from that darkness that seemed to hide in the back of her mind; the memories of the First Queen. Those dark thoughts now stirred, perhaps sensing its home so near.

Teyla shook herself out of her thoughts, looking away from the planet finally to the displays before her.

"All fighting parties report to the Hangar By." Came the announcement from the leading female Hunter.

Teyla took one last look at the small display, seeing nothing new, and cleared the screen. She turned to look upon the female Hunter who had begun Teyla's journey with the Hunters. The female stood up from her command chair, pulling her weapons with her. They met at the centre of the bridge.

"And so Hunter Emmagan, we go to battle."

Teyla was surprised at the use of her name, completely unused during her time with the Hunters. The strange sense of disassociation from her own name was worrying and some part of her once again feared that perhaps she would never again be that woman. But, now was not the time for such thoughts; now was the time to strike at the First Queen. They would destroy this Queen, face to face. She would not escape and she would not be allowed to hide from the galaxy ever again.

So Teyla marched from the Hunter's bridge, her head held high and ready to fight the darkness.

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The small Hunter transport ships flew down towards the planet like a tiny swarm of insects, leaving behind the massive hives of the Hunter fleet.

Colonel Caldwell turned from the view to meet Rodney McKay's worried eyes.

It was then that the attack begun. It was as if they appeared from nowhere. The complicated energy matrixes of the nebulae parted and a massive Hive ship was revealed from the clouds. Its course and speed drove it straight into the side of one of the larger Hunter vessels. The impact turned the Hunter ship into a battering ram that smashed into its neighbouring ships. The resulting explosions blinded most viewscreens and sensors for several seconds. But, once the light dimmed the true impending horror was revealed.

Wraith ships ploughed out of the nebulae from every direction, and of every size and shape intent on only one objective; to destroy the entire Hunter fleet. Explosions and energy weapons lit up the nebulae with new colours. Ships swirled blindingly close to each other in the deadly battle, the fighting brutal and ultimate.

Swarms of darts danced around the fleet, some flying directly into the ships leaving massive holes exposed to space, which were shortly followed by explosions and destruction. Another squadron of darts headed away from the main battle and tore down towards the exposed Hunter transport ships already halfway to the planet below.

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John came awake suddenly. Shifting onto his back in the centre of his highly uncomfortable prison bed and he listened intently for what had woken him. As usual the place was deserted, but something was different. He realised the lighting in the next room had changed. Pulling himself up from the bed he padded over to the locked cell door and pressed his cheek up against the bars, peering as best he could into the next room. A red light was flashing on the furthest wall. Red. That couldn't be good.

The ship suddenly rocked violently, sending him flying back from the bars. He was too slow in grabbing hold of something secure and was thrown against his bed and then up against the wall behind it. The ship lurched again, pressing him tighter up against the cold wall. Muttering and cursing he managed to get his feet under him onto the lumpy bed and worked to get a good purchase on the wall that was fast becoming the new floor. The ship shuddered and then rocked back again, ripping the bed out from under him and slamming him down onto his back. The ship shook once more and the bed was tipped down over him.

"Damn it!" He shouted, as he wrapped his arms over his head as the dreaded bed descended towards him. The bed wasn't as heavy as it appeared and the legs fortunately took most of the impact where they hit the floor on either side of him.

Narrowly having avoided being crushed by his own bed, he pulled himself out from under the metal frame and crawled back towards the bars. The floor shifted angle at various unpredictable moments, but he made it to the cell door in good time. Pulling himself upright by the bars he tried to peer into the next room again.

"Hello! Anyone out there? Seems like there may be a problem out there. Someone should go check it out." He shouted. He doubted anyone was out there, but it had entertained him enough over the past week and now it felt good to vent. The walls shuddered again. Definitely weapons fire.

The sense of isolation and uselessness over the past week flared to a peek. Not only was he ignored, but it looked like he may die in here without even knowing what was happening out there. Had they reached the nebulae Teyla had mentioned? If so it looked like they had had a welcome party waiting for them.

Clutching the bars tightly he held on as the ship banked sharply to one side. If he was feeling such movements that meant the inertial dampeners must be taxed beyond belief. In the distance he heard an alert blaring. Great.

Then came the sound of a door opening in the other room, causing the alarm to blare briefly louder, then quieten again as the door closed. John waited silently, keeping a good hold onto the bars.

"Sheppard?" It was a whispered female voice. He did not recognise the voice, but it was vaguely familiar.

"In here." He called, slightly cautiously.

Marana, the servant whom his team had met before appeared around the doorframe, her eyes large and worried in the dim light.

"Sheppard." She said with obvious relief as she pulled herself through the door working against the unnatural tilt of the floor. As she approached he saw what looked very much like a key in her hand.

"Marana, what are you doing here?" He asked.

She hurried over to his cell as quickly as she could and set about unlocking the three sets of locks on the cell door.

"I have had the glorious duty of serving Hunter Emmagan since she joined The Hunters. She sent me down here to get you out once I was able. I am sorry I was not able to reach you sooner, but I had to wait for everyone to be sufficiently distracted."

"Sounds like that shouldn't be a problem now." John muttered. The floor finally reverted to a more normal level as the final lock released on his cell door. John pushed as Marana pulled open the heavy door.

"Thanks." He said with feeling. Though the tiny amount of relief he felt at his freedom, and Teyla's involvement in his escape, could not push away the major sense of urgency that flashed through him. The ship was rocked once again as they staggered out or the prison area. Marana had his jacket and weapons ready for him, which he pulled on hurriedly.

"Hunter Emmagan has instructed me to lead you to the Hangar Bay. There you will find several different small vessels, one of which you can use to make your escape." Marana explained, her voice worried.

"What's going on out there, Marana?" John asked as he clipped on the familiar weight of his P90 and secured his radio to its customary place.

"The fleet entered the nebulae following a trail that Hunter Emmagan had learnt from the Wraith Queens. They found the First Queen's planet and had just launched an attack force."

"I take it the fleet met some company?" He asked sarcastically. He headed for the prison door, pressing himself against the doorframe as it opened. The corridor outside was empty, except for the flashing red lighting.

"Indeed. Many Wraith ships that I saw." She offered quietly as she kept close to his back. "We need to get to the Hangar Bay, Colonel Sheppard."

"First we need to get Teyla, and then we can leave." John whispered over his shoulder as he led the way down the corridor.

Marana urgently tapped on his shoulder as he reached a junction. "Hunter Emmagan has already left the ship as part of the attack force heading for the planet. You need to get away from here, Colonel."

Peering cautiously around one corner, John headed to the left. Marana grabbed his arm with a surprising strength. "The Hangar Bay is this way, Colonel." She pointed to the right, her face concerned, but insistent. "I promised Hunter Emmagan that I would see you safely off this ship."

John caught her hand where it clutched his sleeve. "Where exactly does Teyla expect me to go during, what sounds like, a losing space battle?"

"I sent a message to your people before we left for this mission, telling them the coordinates to this nebula. It is Hunter Emmagan's hope that one of your ships is already here. She has deactivated the jamming signal over your locator beacon so your people should pick up your signal and rescue you."

John played the plan over in his mind. He took the risk and activated his radio. "This is Colonel John Sheppard calling the Daedalus." He repeated the message and a blast of static and random sounds burst out from the radio. "Repeat, Daedalus, what is your location?" For a moment John thought he could hear the broken words of Colonel Caldwell, but it may have been wishful thinking. "Daedalus?"

Immediate local sounds drew his attention and he quickly shut off the radio. He and Marana hurried back down the last corridor. Hurried footsteps echoed down the dim red lit corridor. John raised his weapon, walking backwards as best he could. He did not like this. Nothing had really been going his way this month and he could only hope things were going to pick up soon. Marana pulled insistently on the back of his jacket and he followed to slip around another corner into an empty room and pressed his back against the cool wall. He and Marana waited to hear in which direction the footsteps were moving.

After a few tense moments the footsteps passed by the door without pausing. He heard some yelling in the distance and prayed they hadn't discovered he was missing.

Looking round to Marana he finally saw the viewport. The glass stretched up from the floor to the ceiling, creating the impression that the room was exposed to space. But, it was not that which hurried further adrenaline into his system; it was what he could see beyond. A space battle raged in burning bright colours and with a complexity that boggled the mind. For a moment John could almost believe he was in a movie cinema, watching the combined work of a hundred CGI artists. Instead this was real life and more startling than any fiction. John watched in shocked awe as Wraith darts and small vessels swarmed up and around a Hunter vessel before slamming into it. Fire and debris poured out from the terminally injured vessel. He watched in horror as the ship collided with Wraith and Hunter ships around it before exploding in a burst so bright the light passed right through his eyelids.

This was no ordinary battle. The Wraith were not playing by normal rules. John watched as further kamikaze attacks laid waste to other Hunter ships way too close for his comfort. He was brought painfully out of his wonderment and horror by the sudden blur of the underbelly of a Wraith dart flying quickly past the viewport itself. It disappeared, but John was sure there would be others close by.

"Show me the Hangar Bay, Marana." John ordered as he turned quickly back towards the door. "I don't think we have much time."

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TBC