10,000 Years Ago (Earth Standard)

Dominus and Te walk next to each other, roaming the halls of Atlantis. "I've been invested in your work for years, ever since you were summoned to the council chambers after the fall of Concordia. You are what we've been needing for our last resort."

"Sir, what do you mean by that?"

"We can win any battle that we fight, but there is no end to the Wraith. We will lose the war."

"Sir?"

"Lochais, you have been a bastion of hope for the people for years, and I want you to be ready for your last mission soon."

"Sir, I am clearly missing something here. Are you pulling me from active duty?"

"Yes, we are. The most effect protection is protection of worlds controlled by us, and this is one of the last. What we want to do is to put you back into training. But this time for primitive warfare. We also are thinking about getting you some scientific knowledge to make you perfect for the role."

"This sounds like we are going to retreat to Terra. We would abandon everyone in this galaxy?"

"Yes, we are likely going to go back home. We cannot win with how this war is going."

"Councilor, I must protest this course of action."

Te smiled slightly. "It has been a long time since you used my proper title. And your protest is exactly why you will be staying behind. As you know, the Wraith FTL drives cannot reach Terra. This means that they would need to use the Astra Porta network to get to that galaxy. There is only one on this side of the void that can reach that far. You and some volunteers will be stationed here to defend both the city and the porta."

"But what about the people off world? Are we to condemn them to the Wraith?"

"All Alterans are being recalled in the coming days. The humans are not our responsibility now."

"Sir, I- "

"No! It has been decided. Report to the Dream Drives so we can prep you for this mission."

"Yes sir." Dominus gritted out, as he walked away to be put into the simulations that would give years' worth of training and knowledge in just a few days. It was how he was trained for his current role, and how his people could learn the known secrets of the universe.

Too bad humans had mental breakdowns when they attempted to use it. Their cerebral structure was not as strong as their Alteran counterparts, causing the lucky ones to go catatonic.

Walking along the hall, wondering what the future would hold, Dominus was caught off guard when Aria jumped on his back. "And how is the big bad Lochais doing today?"

"Ari, you know better than to do that." Dominus said as he shrugged his younger sister off his shoulder. She was a petite woman who barely reached 1.5 meters in height. It was a common mistake when not seeing her credentials to assume she was still an adolescent. Despite her several subject masteries, he could always annoy her with that.

"I've been reassigned. I'm going to be stuck in the city for some time. We can hang out more often than before." Dominus said as he got to a relocator. He selected the nearest point to the dive labs, ready to get to his new training.

"You don't sound happy about it." Aria said dryly. "A less secure woman would be concerned that you didn't want to see her. You are still the most important man in my life."

"Classified comment." Was Dominus's response. "But I am glad that we will be together more often. There is not a lot that I would not do for you, but I am upset about the orders."

The pair walked in silence for a while, passing different doors and labs, until they got to a door that opened for them near the end of the hall. Dominus hugged Aria then gave her a shove back onwards the relocator. He then turned and walked into the room; the door sliding shut behind him. Aria looked at the door with a frown on her face, her own project in her mind.

Current Time (2004 Earth standard)

"Elizabeth, you can't be serious. He took out an entire fireteam by himself and hacked McKay's computer without breaking a sweat." John Sheppard said forcefully in Dr. Weir's office, across from Stargate Operations.

"John, like it or not this is his home. We may now live here, but he is the rightful inhabitant of this city." Elizabeth Wier retorted, crossing her arms. "What would you do if someone set off a base alarm and several armed people that you had no idea about happened to come across you in the hall on your way to deal with the threat?"

"That's different." John said hotly.

"Is it? He used non-lethal force to incapacitate unknown combatants. He only killed the wraith that he was hunting. He then surrendered himself upon realizing that we were supposed to be here and had a claim to the place."

"Look, he appeared out of nowhere, I just want to be sure about him before we dial in to Earth."

"You could just take him with you. The politicians would love to meet him, not to mention the military command." Dr. Weir said with a look that said she was considering doing just that.

Suddenly an alarm went off, cutting off any more conversation as the pair rand acroos the balcony to the control room. Dr. Meredith "Rodney" McKay, was looking at a panel and waved Sheppard and Weir over.

"What do you got, McKay?" Sheppard said slowing next to the scientist.

McKay looked up and motioned to his laptop screen. "The Ancient is loose. Corporal Finkerman passed out and he just walked threw the brig door to render aid. I don't think we can keep him anywhere in the city unless he wants to stay put."

"You might be right. Elizabeth, get cleared to bring him with us to Earth. Have Dr. Beckett meet me in the brig to retrieve Finkerman. And You!" He turned pointing at a marine that was brought over on the Dedalus. "With me." And with that Sheppard raced off the marine trailing behind.

10,000 Years Ago (Earth Standard)

"How was the fighter pilot sim going, Domi?" Aria asked as she sat next to her brother on the edge of the city's moon pool, her feet just brushing the water. Even under the ocean, the shield kept the pressure from crushing her bones, so long as she stayed in the protective bubble.

Dominus stood next to her leaning on the railing. "I've finished those, and the cruiser command sims, as well. You helped develop the drive, you should know that time moves different in there and that I could learn more than you could hope to learn in a fraction of the time. Currently the council has me refreshing on combat medicine and rapid aid. Pretty soon I'll be the perfect house keeper, just like Janus wants."

"Janus is a nice guy; you just don't like him because he was courting me for a bit. He is sweet if you get to know him."

A/N: I know I've been gone for a while. A new job in a new city after a rough patch. I'm back though and will try to get more of these out next up is Intruder, so let see how an Alteran would change the outcome on the ship.