I do not own Stargate, Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, nor do I own any of its characters. I make no profit off this story excepting in my own personal pleasure of writing it. This is set AU after the end of Season Five of Stargate Atlantis. It completely disregards the Legacy book series, so please no flames that it's ignoring those. Also a few characters may go a bit OOC because I feel like it. If you don't like it, don't read it.

AN: Just as a clarification in advance, I gave Jinto (and his father) and Wex last names. Jinto and Halling have the last name Treale and Wex's last name is Hunter.

ANN: To answer the question asked by ObsidianPheonix26, when writing this I didn't really consider SGU because I never managed to make it past the three-part pilot (almost everyone was too selfish and dickish for my tastes). That said, you can assume that the people on the Icarus Base, having not found the information to unlock the ninth chevron (as SGA ends in January 2009 and I have them leaving back to Pegasus in June of that year, while SGU doesn't start until October 2009) were picked up by the Apollo on their first recon mission back to the Milky Way.

Also, since Eli Wallace is just about the only character that didn't panic like an idiot and actually tried to be generally useful to everyone (thus the only character that I found likeable), I've decided that he and his mother Marian were grocery shopping in one of the stores that the 304s were grabbing food and people from and got sent through the gate on one of the last groups. Since the tech is available (In the form of the nanites) to treat Marian's HIV, curing her, she is now healthy and working as a nurse in one of the infirmaries while Eli has gone back to taking classes in the university levels. I may or not choose to work him or Rush into the story, but those are really the only two I would be willing to attempt to do so and anything about them would be pulled off of the StargateWiki since I really didn't get into SGU.

Chapter 24: Never Trust a Stranger

John had two days of peace between the end of the IPC Summit and his daughter suddenly deciding she was bored being stuck on Atlantis constantly. Granted, she was turning fourteen in a week and he knew there was a rumor going around about potential Ancient tech being found on one of the major market planets. He really should have anticipated Rikki wanting to investigate, even though it was completely unnecessary.

"Please? Pretty please? Teyla said she would be going next week, and I just want to look around, see if there really might be a source of undiscovered Ancient tech. You know I know Ancient stuff better than even Rodney does at this point. Please, for my birthday?" Rikki begged.

Tom, Wex, and Jinto were all waiting right behind her, Wex and Jinto standing at attention while Tom leaned against the wall, knowing that Rikki asking for something always had interesting results. Wex and Jinto were undoubtedly Rikki's source of intel that there might be something interesting in that particular market. They had seemingly joined Rikki's circle of friends, and were actually the closest to her age, so John couldn't complain. The two of them were also among those now being sent out to discreetly gather intel. They dressed in normal, Athosian clothing during those missions, with undershirts made of the polycarbonate fabrics. It was better than a bullet-proof vest and easier to conceal too.

"Rikki, there are a lot of threats out in the galaxy," John tried, though he suspected that that wouldn't work as well as it had even six months before when she was still grateful that her family was together and safe.

"But Dad, it's really not anymore. With the shields, even if a Wraith Hive did attack, we would be perfectly safe, and you guys would be there in like… five minutes at most to kick their asses. Plus, I'll be with Teyla and Tom and whoever else comes along. I swear, I will stick to Teyla's side if that's what it takes," Rikki bounced hopefully, giving him her best puppy dog eyes.

John sighed, "You're going with six guards, who you will not try to give the slip to. You stay with the assigned guards at all times, Tom, I'm trusting you to keep her in line on this, and you don't leave Teyla's line of sight, Rikki. Am I understood?"

"Yes! Thank you, I will!" Rikki cheered.

Tom projected the thought that John was a push-over. John responded that if he was a push-over than Tom was Rikki's bitch. Tom rolled his eyes before following his much younger friend from John's office, Jinto and Wex in tow. John shook his head and made a mental note to talk with Teyla about letting Rikki go. Tom wisely didn't argue the comment. John figured Tom knew exactly how wrapped around Rikki's fingers he was.

As the week passed, Rikki was bouncing with excitement and she knew it. Tom and the others treated her with fond amusement, but Rikki didn't really care. She was going to leave Atlantis for a day. Not that she didn't love Atlantis, the city was awesome, the tech was amazing, and Rikki knew that there was nowhere else in Pegasus or the Milky Way that was a better place to live. Not even Earth could have compared. That being said, she had spent the past few months hearing Jinto and Wex and the other SpecOps trainees talking about their intel gathering trips to various market worlds. They talked about the people they befriended and always brought back interesting things, like hand-carved puzzle boxes and woven blankets with the constellations of the Stargate on them. Sure, Rikki was curious about the reports of potential Ancient tech, but mostly she wanted to just explore one of the market worlds. If she got to do both at the same time, all the better.

So, she obediently put the protective undershirt on before donning Athosian clothing lent to her by Versan, who happened to be a similar size to Rikki, even though she was two years older. Rikki had hit a major growth spurt over the past few months and had gained several inches. She was now taller than her mother, to her mother's annoyance. Tom had to borrow an outfit from Jinto, who had grown to a similar height to his father, Halling.

Teyla gave everyone appraising looks before nodding, "Rikki, remember you are to remain with Tom and at least two of the guards at all times. Also remember that you will encounter people from many worlds at the markets, do not let them know that you are John's daughter. There are a great many people who hold your father in such a high esteem that I fear there will be a commotion if they realize his daughter were among them. To the majority of these worlds, John is a great leader and warrior. In their eyes that puts you on the same level as that of a princess. Fortunately, most people do not know what you look like and while they have heard of your father's appearance, few would be able to pick him out of a crowd with ease.

"Jinto, Wex, Yu'tra, Dusty, Anne, Kerran, two of you are to be with Rikki and Tom at all times and the rest must have an eye on them as well as your surroundings. Our purpose of this trip is to find the merchant that is supposedly selling Ancient artifacts and to assess if they are in truth, artifacts. Rikki and Tom are going along to identify them, so if you find such an item, you are to direct them to the stall immediately. Also, remember to keep an eye out for any Genii. While we are technically allies, the Genii are hardly likely to aid us and may act to hinder us in our efforts. If you spot one, be sure to inform everyone in the group, but carefully," Teyla finished.

Once she had gotten a round of confirming nods, Teyla handed out the packs filled with goods that could be traded for other things. They mostly contained the candied fruits that had become a popular small ticket trade item on the market worlds, though there were some hand-crafted things as well. Those were in the bags of Jinto, Wex, Teyla, and Kerran though, as it took more skill as a trader than Rikki, Tom, Dusty, or Anne had the abilities of. Anna and Dusty had done this before, so they knew something about the methods of bartering, but were still not exactly skilled at it. Yu'tra had experience from his homeworld and these trips, but Rikki and Tom knew nothing and were told to let one of the Athosians do the talking if they saw something they liked.

After all, merchants were far more talkative with paying customers. Rikki was vibrating throughout the trip through the gate and on the brisk walk to the market town. That walk was the point of highest risk, as the shield didn't cover the path between the town and the gate. Once they were in the town, Rikki beamed in excitement and Tom gave her an indulgent smile in return. Yu'tra and Jinto took up the space next to Tom and Rikki and they immediately began wandering to the different stalls.

Rikki let Jinto do a lot of the guiding as he would pause to chat with people that he had made nice with. There was a lot of idle gossip after Rikki and Tom were introduced, but enough of it was interesting that Rikki didn't look rude by becoming obviously bored. She did marvel that it didn't matter where you were living in the universe, people still cared about who was sleeping with who and who just had a kid and what not. Each stall they stopped at had such conversations and Rikki wasn't really certain that this information was too useful until they came to about the fourth, where Rikki let Jinto barter some candied fruit for a nicely made choker for her. The merchant then made a few whispered remarks to Jinto as Rikki put the new choker on.

He walked away with a smirk, "Come on, we're go to talk to someone in particular now." With that, he led them through the crowds to a stall across the street.

He gestured for Rikki to come forward and look at the stuff while he chatted happily with the stall owner. Rikki figured that the other merchant had told Jinto there might be something of interest at this stall. Rikki examined each item carefully until she found what was clearly the item of interest. It was a personal shield… that had been turned into a gaudy necklace. She had to resist the urge to giggle. Jinto noticed her interest in the necklace and leaned over with a whisper, "That looks familiar."

"I hope it's power source isn't depleted. If it isn't, I might get…" Jinto shook his head at Rikki's murmured response.

"Don't look too eager to have it," Jinto whispered back before starting the bartering process for the necklace that held the personal shield.

Tom and Rikki kept looking through the goods but didn't find anything else. Jinto made a casual inquiry where the merchant had found the necklace, after the transaction was completed and the necklace tucked into Jinto's bag. The merchant admitted that it had been traded for something else by another merchant and sent them in that merchant's direction. Rikki figured the guy felt he had made out what with the three expertly carved cups and a jar of candied fruit he'd gotten for the trade since he didn't seem too impressed with the necklace.

They crossed paths with Teyla on their way to the stall and Wex joined them as Jinto passed off the personal shield. Teyla sighed softly, "It is remarkable how few people realize the value of some of the things that they have sometimes." The shield got safely tucked away and Teyla continued on her way with Anne and Dusty.

They stopped briefly at a food stall, to prevent looking like they were in too big a rush and traded a handful of candies for some food. Wex was apparently acquainted with the stall owner and talked with her for a bit before they headed on towards the new target of interest. This one was towards the end of the market that held mostly food stuff. It was also mostly tucked into an alleyway. Rikki smiled pleasantly to the stall owner as she, Tom, and Yu'tra began their careful perusal of the items on show. Jinto and Wex made nice with the stall owner. It was obvious that Jinto and Wex didn't know this one. Rikki eyed a bracelet that looked like it could be a small data crystal when the noise of a cart distracted her for a moment.

She glanced over at the cart and frowned as it blocked their way out of the alley and thus their view of the market as a whole. Rikki glanced at Yu'tra who wasn't happy by this either but didn't look too concerned. That was until the stall owner pulled a stunner out and shot Jinto and Wex with it. Rikki dodged the shot aimed at her even as men entered the alley from the other side. The flurry of stunner fire was impossible to avoid completely, and Rikki was unconscious before she knew it.

The men wrapped everyone they had rendered unconscious in sacking and then carried them out of the alley end. Only when they had placed their prisoners in a small cart on the other end of the alley and covered them with more sacking, did the cart on the end of the alley move. The majority of the group scattered back into the crowds, while two headed to the gate, dragging the cart back to the gate as if they had made some good trades and were done with this trip.

Teyla had rarely felt anger this potent before. She didn't spot the Genii in the crowds until it was clearly too late. Anne, Dusty, and Kerran searched the entire market looking for the others, but to not avail. The merchant that Jinto had explained might have more Ancient artifacts claimed to not know where they were and a scan over his goods showed nothing that looked likely to fit the description of Ancient artifacts. The merchant himself did admit that he spoke with them, but they only stayed at the stall a short while and didn't buy anything. Teyla silently wished she had John's strength of telepathy to determine if the man was lying or not.

After they had searched the entire market and the nearby taverns in the futile hope that Rikki had talked Jinto, Wex, and Yu'tra into letting her try some alien beer, Teyla had to admit that they had likely been taken. She knew that John would be justifiably livid. He had entrusted his daughter's safety to Teyla, and she had failed. She could only hope that wherever she had been taken, Rikki remained with Yu'tra, Jinto, Wex, and Tom. As it was, they had wasted too much time searching the market. They headed back to the gate at a brisk jog, hoping against hope that they caught up with the kidnappers before they reached the gate.

It was with a heavy heart that Teyla dialed the gate, having seen cart tracks but nothing more. Of course, cart tracks were hardly evidence of anything on a market world. There were ample numbers of people who brought their goods in on carts and left with them when they were finished with their trading. Once she put in her IDC, she gave a final sigh before going through the gate to face the music as John would say.

Rikki groaned and clutched at her head as a clanging noise woke her. In a fit of disorientation, she wondered what was wrong with Atlantis's door functions if it was making that noise. Her next foggy thought was to wonder why was she on the floor. Before she could fully process it, she was helped to sit up. She squinted for a second at Jinto in confusion before she recalled what had happened. He pressed his finger to his lip as she realized someone was yelling at someone else.

"OF ALL THE UNOBSERVANT, MORONIC THINGS YOU COULD HAVE DONE, YOU KIDNAPPED JOHN SHEPPARD'S DAUGHTER! I TOLD YOU TO GRAB A FEW OF THEIR SCIENTISTS, NOT THEIR FUCKING, PRECIOUS GOLDEN CHILD! SHEPPARD WILL TEAR THIS GALAXY APPART LOOKING FOR HER YOU INCOMPETENT IMBECILE!" Rikki winced at the foreign voice's obvious rage.

She also noticed that Tom was still out. Jinto, Wex, and Yu'tra were all awake and alert though. The voices drifted off as the man who was yelling said something about trying to figure out how to fix the situation. Rikki looked at Jinto, "So…"

"Genii. This is why we always keep an eye out for them. Gen. Sheppard was worried they would try something like this. It isn't exactly a first for them. The question is whether these guys are rouge or under Ladon's orders," He answered before she could ask who had taken them.

She nodded slowly, "How come you guys woke up before me and are clearly way more with it? Is Tom okay?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, he'll be fine. Stunners are a doozy the first few times you get hit with them. Gen. Sheppard has us building up resistance, so that they aren't as effective. Granted, we only started with that part of training a couple of months ago, so we still go down with the first hit… but it wears off quicker now," Wex answered from where he was standing by the solid looking door. "I think we're underground. Gen. Sheppard said that the Genii favor underground facilities and with the steady chill to this cell and the lack of windows, it fits."

"We have trackers implanted, they'll find us quickly, I'm sure," Jinto assured Rikki quickly.

Yu'tra shook his head, "A scientist I spoke with said that if we're too deep underground, it can prevent the long-range sensors from picking up the signal. Something about naquadah being a common component of the soils of most worlds. It's why we can't just scan the galaxy for worlds with Wraith breeding facilities on them. Too much interference. We need to be on the surface to get a signal out."

"Great. I already checked and they took all my knives," Wex sounded extremely put out by this.

Rikki smirked as she shifted her neck, "Well, they didn't take mine." She dug into the base of her braid and pulled out the plasma cutter that Ronon had recommended she always keep secured there.

The older teens all got vicious smirks. Yu'tra was the only one who was considered fully trained, so Rikki handed the thin contraption over to him, "I guess they didn't think a teenaged girl was going to be armed." She said as she pulled a second one from her boot.

"Did they not search you at all?" Wex's tone held obvious glee as Rikki pulled a third from her other boot. "How many do you have of these things?"

"Just the three. I guess they didn't think I'd be a threat. That'll show them to be sexist and ageist," Rikki commented smugly as Jinto and Wex took the blades.

Rikki immediately shuffled over to Tom as he groaned, "Did anyone get the license plate of that truck?" He asked, clearly feeling the headache that Rikki felt was now fading away for her.

"We got nabbed by the Genii. Dad's never letting me leave Atlantis again," Rikki told him as she helped him sit up.

"Well crap. I was having fun too, what with getting kidnapped and all. Now that's a real thrill, you know," Tom was clearly cranky. He always got sarcastic when he was cranky.

"The good news is that they were just looking to grab a couple of scientist and not Rikki. Of course, they didn't know that Rikki was going to be at the market today. I think the whole Ancient tech thing was a setup," Jinto, Rikki realized, talked more like an American than he did with the more formal speech of the Athosians. Then again, he had been receiving training from her father and living on Atlantis for over six months now, so maybe he had picked up the speech patterns that way.

Yu'tra clearly hadn't. With the plasma cutter in hand, he had shifted over to the door and was listening intently. Finally, he nodded, "We should act now that everyone is awake. The sooner we make our escape, the less likely they are to anticipate it. We need to get to the surface. If we do, then it will be a matter of evading our pursuers until one of our ships can pick up our signal and comes to collect us."

Tom shook off his dizziness as he stood while Yu'tra activated the plasma cutter in his hand and used it to cut through the bolt holding the door shut. He signaled for Tom and Rikki to be quiet as he and Jinto eased the door open. Thankfully, the door didn't squeak much despite its prior clanging, and they slipped out of the cell. Yu'tra and Jinto led the group and Wex held the rear, they kept Rikki and Tom in the middle. Rikki muffled her squeak of surprise when Yu'tra and Jinto ambushed and quietly killed two approaching guards from around a corner. Rikki forced herself not to panic or freeze or stare at the plasma cutters that were now being used as particularly effective knives.

Granted, she had always known the weapons she was making for everyone were for the purpose of killing enemies. However, it was clearly one thing to know it on principle and read reports, so as to better develop ideas of what people needed, it was entirely different to watch three teenagers, all of them only a few years older than Rikki and none older than Tom ruthlessly killing everyone they encountered, being careful to conserve the charges of the cutters whenever they weren't using them. They made the effort to head up whenever they found stairs, and eventually found an exit just before the sound of boots thumping and shouts reached their ears.

The group tumbled out into a wooded area after scrambling up the ladder. Yu'tra slammed the lid of the opening shut and directed them all to run. Jinto led the way, and Rikki was never more grateful that her father made her go running with him, Ronon, and now Todd, now that Todd wasn't pregnant anymore, every morning. It meant that despite being the shortest, she could keep up with the boys.

"I've got a signal! Send the coordinates to navigation now," Rodney announced excitedly.

"Finally, what they hell Rodney, it's been three hours," John snapped even as relief flooded his system. He watched as Col. Wu activated the wormhole drive for the plotted coordinates and he and the others from SpecOps rushed down to the transporter room.

By the time they reached it, the Phoenix was dropping out of the wormhole and their transporter technician was working on locking onto the transponders and other life signs in the area. As soon as he locked onto the five transponders of the teens that had been taken, the tech activated the transporters. Almost immediately after they had been rematerialized in front of them, there were four young men, one holding Rikki slung over his should like a sack of potatoes, suddenly tripping and face-planting.

"Really?" John couldn't help but ask even as Rikki let out a pained shriek.

"Fucking cock-sucking Hasshak! My leg!" Rikki screeched as Yu'tra struggled to get free of her.

"You have been spending too much time with Uncle Jack, I see." John grunted as he helped Yu'tra shift off Rikki who was clearly in pain.

"Pretty sure she picked that up from Vala actually," Tom responded while he was pressing down on what was clearly a bleeding shoulder as he struggled to get up. "She got hit in the leg by one of their bullets a few minutes ago."

Jinto, who had gotten himself up, picked Rikki up bridal style, earning a frown from Tom, but John brushed that off. It was clear they had not gotten away unscathed, though Jinto and Yu'tra were clearly in the best shape, "All of you get to the infirmary now. We'll take things from here. Wex, Jinto, Yu'tra, good job escaping."

"They were Genii, sir," Yu'tra informed them even as he provided physical support to the wavering Wex, who was bleeding from a wound in his side, before they headed off to obey John's instruction to head for the infirmary.

John knew that his expression mirrored Todd's icy expression. The bastards had shot at and injured his daughter. John didn't care if this was under Ladon's orders or not. These guys were dead. Vala was in the mix of John's SpecOps and was bouncing, clearly ready for action now that she was past her pregnancy and back in shape. Her hard expression said that she had every intention of making these bastards pay for their actions with blood.

"Drop us where you picked up the kids," He ordered the tech.

"Sir, the area is crawling with other life signs," The tech attempted to argue.

"He didn't stutter, Sargent," Vala snapped. A quick brush of her mind told John that she wanted blood for the harm caused to Rikki. Of course, since she viewed Rikki as 'practically her goddaughter' that was hardly surprising. She and Todd were good friends and she considered herself Rikki's honorary aunt.

The tech clearly decided that it was best not to argue further, which was wise, given how vicious Vala could get one someone she cared about was hurt. Their group was spaced out properly and lightsabers were activated as soon as they finished beaming down. There was a rush for the nearby threats. As soon as they were dealt with, John let Ronon and Teyla take the lead as they led everyone back to the underground bunker by following to obvious trail left by the escaping teens. There was more blood than John would have liked on that trail, but then there were plenty of idiot Genii along their path to be dealt with too.

When they reached the hatch, he let Ronon and Todd drop down first before following. The other Wraithkin just jumped down the hole, but the other humans did more of a pole slide down the ladder, "I want this place cleared of scum. If they surrender, knock them out for later interrogation, otherwise, kill them."

With those orders, everyone scattered in their independent teams, Todd, John, Ronon, and Teyla making one. John felt almost nothing as they cut down the Genii within the bunker, and it was a big one. It was clear that the place was meant for scientific research of some sort. He waited until everyone had finished clearing the bunker before they resurfaced. John radioed Rodney and told him to get down there with his tablet to gather whatever data was on the Genii's computers.

All told, it probably took two hours to clear the place and get every bit of data before Rodney planted a malicious virus in the computers. The next person who tried connecting to them wouldn't know their system had been infected for a few days. After that, everything they had would be fried. John didn't bother cleaning up before going to the infirmary while the ship jumped back into wormhole drive once everyone got back on the ship.

Jinto and Yu'tra were sitting on chairs, leaning back, though they immediately stood as soon as John entered, "Report, start at the beginning." John ordered.

Yu'tra responded, "One of the merchants at the marketplace had a necklace with an Ancient personal shield as the center piece. When we purchased it, Specialist Treale persuaded the merchant to tell us where he got it. Once we had the information, we handed the necklace off to Specialist Emmagan. At this point Specialist Hunter joined us. Then we went the market stall that the previous merchant claimed he had gotten the necklace.

"While Dr. Sheppard, Dr. Richards, and I examined the merchandise this new merchant had on display, Specialist Treale and Specialist Hunter spoke with the merchant, attempting to gather information of where he got his merchandise. After a few minutes at the stall, which was partially located in an alley, a cart blocked the entrance to the alley and the merchant pulled a stunner and utilized it on Specialist Treale and Specialist Hunter. He then missed shots directed at Dr. Sheppard, Dr. Richards, and me. However, several other men appeared from the other end of the alley and also fired stunners at us as well, some of their shots hit each of us. It this obvious from this that the supposed Ancient artifacts were indeed the bait in a trap for Lantean scientists.

"When we woke, we were in a cell, our weapons stripped from us. However, it appears that they failed to search Dr. Sheppard properly, as they missed the three plasma cutters she had on her person, one in each boot and one located in her braid. We used these to escape as we surmised that the bunker was underground and therefore it was unlikely our transponder signals would reach our ships' systems.

"We reached the bunker's exit just as they were catching up with us. As we were fleeing, Dr. Richards got shot in the shoulder, causing Dr. Sheppard to pause to assist him. At that point Dr. Sheppard was shot in the leg. I then picked up Dr. Sheppard to carry her as we fled our Genii captors. Shortly thereafter Specialist Hunter received his gunshot wound in his side. Mere seconds later, the Phoenix beamed us aboard. The doctors currently have Dr. Sheppard, Dr. Richards, and Specialist Hunter are currently in surgery," Yu'tra finished, his back as ramrod straight as it had been when he had started, though John could see he was visibly exhausted.

"When was the last time you received a shot of Tretonin, Specialist Yu'tra?" John asked, concerned, Tretonin was something that was supposed to be taken like clockwork.

"Two weeks ago, sir. I am currently a part of the nanite trials Dr. Lam is conducting," Yu'tra responded promptly.

"Have you been checked to ensure that the stunner fire you took didn't disrupt the nanites in you?" John questioned.

"Yes, sir. The doctor said that it had occurred. However, he also said that as long as I report to Dr. Lam as soon as we return to Atlantis to receive a new batch, I should be fine," Yu'tra answered.

"Well, we are back over Atlantis, Specialist Yu'tra, so head to the transporter room now and tell the tech I told you to be beamed directly to the main infirmary. Specialist Treale, you go with him to ensure that he makes it. Also, have the doctor present double check you," John ordered. Yu'tra and Jinto immediately nodded and filed out of the ship's infirmary.

A nurse came over to him as soon as the teens were gone, "Gen. Sheppard, Dr. Sullivan, who is handling your daughter's surgery, said that the bullet thankfully missed anything vital and was a through and through. He is making sure the damage is properly stitched up, but she should be able to be transported down to the main infirmary. Dr. Thompson requested that as soon we reached Atlantis to have assistance in surgery with Specialist Hunter as the bullet that hit him nicked his liver. Dr. Black has also requested assistance with Dr. Richards as there was significant tissue damage to his shoulder."

"If you will show me to the operating rooms, I can be of assistance. I brought my hand device in case it was needed," Vala announced.

The nurse looked uncertain, but John gave the order, "Dr. Richards first, it looked like he lost more blood. Just enough that he doesn't have permanent damage, Vala. There are two of them and I know that thing drains your energy."

Vala held up the device and the nurse sighed before leading her through a door. Another opened and John saw a doctor wheeling out a cot with his daughter on it. The doctor nodded at John, "She'll be just fine, if given time to heal. It was on the outer part of her thigh, thankfully, and almost more of a graze than a through and through. The damage was minimal."

"That's good to hear," John said and while he looked at his daughter, he didn't touch her. He was covered in filth and she had plenty of scratches on her face and arms, undoubtedly from tree branches and brush. "She can be sent down now?"

"Yes, of course," Dr. Sullivan answered with a smile. "I hope you sent Specialist Yu'tra down to Atlantis already, I suspect that the stunner damaged the nanites he has."

"He confirmed that they had, he's already gone down with Specialist Treale," John confirmed as they walked to the transporter room.

He was sent down with Rikki, directly into the infirmary, along with Todd, and they immediately got yelled at by Beckett to get out of the infirmary until they had cleaned up. As they left, O'Neill was waiting, "How are they?"

"Rikki took a bullet in the leg. The damage isn't too bad, but it's gonna suck recovering for her unless we have someone heal it for her. Yu'tra's nanites were disrupted, but Lam should have dealt with that by now. Wex took a bullet to the side and Tom one to the shoulder. They were still in surgery, but Vala headed in to give the doctors a little technical assistance, so I expect they will be done soon enough. It was Genii, going on their uniforms and Yu'tra's report, so I would suggest inviting Ladon here. Of course, even if he did sanction it, I doubt he will admit it and he'll claim it was rouge agents," John shrugged, exhausted now that his daughter was safe and those who perpetrated the act dead. "Of course, we left dead bodies in our wake, so that should be a pretty clear message of our view on kidnapping our people."

Jack snorted at that, "And I have no doubt they were chopped up by the nice little lightsabers Rikki made for us. If Ladon was involved, he undoubtedly will be looking to damage control. It's not like he could have anticipated you actually letting Rikki out of the city, so it's more likely that he was just going after a Lantean scientist and accidently got our girl."

"I'm thinking the same thing, but I think making the message clear that we won't tolerate any of our people being taken and we are vicious if you hurt them will act as a strong deterrent. It's not like these worlds have a lot military strength compared to us," John pointed out.

"And it doesn't hurt that Lantea is, with the addition of the Travelers to our group, the only ones besides the Wraith with space capable ships," Jack added.

John nodded, "Well, we're going to go clean off the blood of our enemies, get Tom and Rikki a change of clothing and let their friends know that they'll be okay, if a little sore tomorrow."

"You know, I'm starting to think it's bad luck to be part Alteran. The more Alteran you are, the higher the odds of you getting kidnapped. Rikki's got to be the youngest out of our lot to be taken," Jack joked.

"Yeah, well I'm hoping to prevent this from being a habit for her… and Fianna. Hell, I don't even like it being a habit for me. Hopefully, you've managed to actually break it," John countered.

"Oh, now you've jinxed me," Jack grumbled as John waved at him. "I want a report on the rescue mission tomorrow."

"Will do," John responded easily.

He and Todd made a quick trip to their quarters, showered at the same time for efficiency and then collected Rikki's friends and some clothing for her and Tom. By the time they made it back to the infirmary, Nancy was sitting with Rikki, though she hadn't woken yet. Tom was on the next bed over and also just as unconscious. Keller and Beckett were settling Wex onto the third bed while Vala gave John a wave, yawning, and announced she was going to eat a pint of ice cream and then take a nap. Mitchell followed after her, John had no doubt to keep the woman from passing out in her ice cream.

"Well, Vala repaired the worst of the damage for them both. They will likely be sore for the next week or so, but Vala repaired the tissue damage and the nick to Specialist Hunter's liver, so it's pretty much just the soreness of healing muscles," Keller told John as he gave the two men appraising looks. "We just confirmed the repairs with the scanner."

John gave her a nod, "Glad to hear they will be back on their feet sooner rather than later."

John settled in on Rikki's side opposite Nancy with Todd as Sam joined them and held up the healing device, "Jack said Rikki could use a little assist. I figure if I don't do it for her, she might try healing herself. Not sure how well that would work, so I'd rather avoid it."

John nodded agreement at that. Nancy looked uncertain but shifted out of Sam's way. Rikki's hospital gown was pushed up to reveal the bandage over her wound. Beckett came over and removed it, revealing the mottled bruising that showed that while the bullet may not have done any major damage, it had to have hurt like hell. Sam held the device over Rikki's injury and closed her eyes in concentration.

John watched, a little fascinated as the coloring of the bruising shifted and then faded, and the hole where the bullet had entered her leg, which was the only side visible from his position, puckered and then closed leaving pink scar tissue. Sam opened her eyes and pulled the device away from where the injury was, "That should do it. She should still take it easy on that leg for the next few days, as it's going to be stiff and tender, but she should be able to walk fine."

Beckett nodded as he neatly removed the stitching holding the now healed wound closed. He shifted Rikki's leg to get to the back part to remove those stitches as well, "Alright, well, I am looking forward to having these things as standard equipment." He commented as he walked away.

"No kidding, do you have any idea how much time I have had to spend in this infirmary? It's obnoxious," John commented.

Rikki, having had the fastest surgery, was the first to wake up. She accepted the change of clothing from John with clear relief and fled to the nearby bathroom to change with a nod from Beckett. Yu'tra arrived at that point and John informed him that he wanted a full report of entire mission, including what mistakes had been made, and the better decisions could have been made by the end of the next day. Yu'tra seemed to take this in stride and accepted his dismissal. John figured that he could go handle his worried mate.

Tom and Wex woke up around the same time. Tom winced, but it didn't stop him from accepting the change of clothing so that he and Rikki could head back to the suite they shared with the rest of their friends. Wex remained silent, waiting for the others to leave, Nancy hovering over her daughter with clear concern. Once the area was mostly clear except for John and Jinto, Wex straightened himself up.

"Sir, permission to give a report of the events," Wex looked a little uncomfortable.

John raised an eyebrow at that, "Specialist Yu'tra already told me what happened, and how they got the drop on you, if that's what you are going to tell me."

Wex shook his head, "Not that, sir. I… if you recall, those of us who are Athosian Wraithkin, you ordered us to work with the Wraithkin to work on developing our inherited telepathy and mental shields." He paused looking to John for confirmation.

"Yeah, Todd said you did great in your last assessment. Said you were almost as strong as Teyla was. That with time, you could be stronger even," John confirmed. It was true too.

"Well, um… I… I think I picked up some of the surface thoughts of the man who was apparently in charge… He… it wasn't aloud, I don't think, but he was thinking about how this could risk a future alliance with Lantea after the coup… That we're pushovers with most things, but if that no one would overlook kidnapping your daughter. He… he also seemed to consider how to 'pin it on Ladon' to get your support after the coup succeeded," Wex looked decidedly uncomfortable.

John took this information in before nodding slowly, "Have you been picking up other thoughts besides this one incident, or is this isolated?"

"It's the first time, sir. I think it was because he was panicked and worked up about accidently taking Dr. Sheppard. I… well from what Todd has told us, he said that the way Wraith telepathy works is that pain and fear create openings into the minds of humans for us… us being the Wraithkin and Wraith, to exploit. I think a lot of people here have decent natural defenses, since everyone on Atlantis knows about your telepathy, sir, and try to build them up, even if it's just to prevent accidental projection. I don't think I'm anywhere near strong enough to break through those, unlike you, but an unsuspecting person from another world…" Wex looked incredibly uncomfortable at the idea if intentionally invading someone's mind.

"Wex, it's important to remember that sometimes you're in a life and death situation, and in those situations, a lot of the normal rules don't apply. You wouldn't kill someone on Atlantis, just because they got you angry, but if you are in a kill or be killed situation, you'll have to make that call. This is the same thing. If you are in a life or death situation, the risks are high, it's okay to get inside the enemy's head, to find out what they're thinking. You didn't do anything wrong. It would be stupid to pass up a tactical advantage like that in a fight. As it happens, now we know that Ladon wasn't involved in this, because any Genii coup that occurs is going to be against him," John pointed out.

Wex nodded slowly, "And if we warn Ladon, it gives us leverage."

"Exactly. And that makes him maybe a little more flexible. As it is, I don't know if you noticed this, but he didn't put up nearly as much of a fuss as I expected towards the Wraithkin. Now, maybe that's because he got shot down so hard, so fast, by Princess Flora, or maybe because he can see the advantages the Wraithkin present, even if he isn't happy about the deal made with them," John shrugged. "Point is that we are in a better position than I thought we would be in."

"I don't think I enjoy the politics that go into being a military leader," Wex admitted, with grin.

"I don't either. I just don't get that option. Much like George Washington, my opinion wasn't consulted when the Wraithkin made me their leader," John pointedly glared at the young man.

"That's because we know that you are a great leader, even if you don't want the job," Jinto responded before Wex could. He set a change of clothing down on the bed. "Who is George Washington?"

"The first American President, and the General of the Congressional Armies during the American Revolutions. He had a lot of flaws, and wasn't always the best man, but he was tactically brilliant and knew how to motivate his men, which was what was what the people wanted back then," John shrugged.

"Oh, well, you are a great leader and a great man, sir. I am sure that is why all the Wraithkin want you to be their leader," Jinto smiled.

"More likely that most of them also think I'm also the most ruthless of them," John responded.

"Only when you need to be, sir," Wex shot back quickly.

John sighed a little uncomfortable himself now, "Right, well, I already gave this order to Yu'tra, so same to you. I want you and Jinto writing out a full mission report, go over what mistakes you made, what you could have done better, what you think the others could have done better, I want it on my desk before end of day tomorrow. Now get some rest." The young men seemed to relax without realizing it. He could deliver the lecture on situational awareness when they turned in their reports. As it was, Wex had given John some serious food for thought.