Despite the fact that the Shasari weren't good at holding prisoners, they weren't completely inept at defense. With the watchers that Hu had ordered out looking for trouble, they spotted the charging outlanders coming down the hill easily, and in plenty of time to gather their own defense.

By the time the first of the Light Ones hit the outer edges of the village, they were met with a solid wall of felines, all poised and ready to spring. Even as Kale and the other two wolves crashed into the line, staff blasts from behind them sounded the arrival of the Jaffa, and several cats fell in mid-leap.

Completely outnumbered and not caring a bit, the Jaffa and human rescue group dove into the fray without hesitation, staff weapons and machine guns dropping to the ground as useless, and knives coming out to counter the wicked claws and teeth of the felines. The air was filled with the sound of battle, and Teal'c and Ronon ran headlong into it, anxious to get past the fight and find Mitchell.

OOOOOOOOOOO

"Milord!"

The young Shasari who ran into the main building stopped cold at the brilliant light that was blinding Mitchell – and Hu – and covered his eyes fearfully, falling to the ground. Bathed in the light of the Being, he couldn't stammer out his message, no matter how dire, but Hu knew what he was thinking – and so did the Being of light. It was what Hu had sensed just moments before the coming of the light.

"They're coming, Master!" he screamed. "They dare to invade our-"

"They're coming because of her," the voice corrected, booming without actually being all that loud. "Because you handled this so-"

Mitchell had had enough.

"Who the hell are you?" she demanded, still trying to clear the brilliant spots out of her vision – and keeping her face averted from the bright light. The Beretta in her hand was cocked and ready to fire, but she didn't have a target – unless she counted the bright light, but she was pretty sure a bullet wouldn't hit it.

"Call off your friends, Colonel Mitchell," the Being replied. "I would not have any more of my people injured…"

"My friends…?" she repeated, confused.

"We can take them!" Hu cried, furious. "They are nothing! Nothing!"

The sounds Melony had heard before – sounds of some kind of commotion – were now definitely sounds of battle. Those were definitely gunshots and the sound of staff weapons discharging. Added to that were feline screams and an occasional snarl that sounded decidedly canine.

"ENOUGH!" the Being flared even brighter, and now Hu fell back, shielding his eyes against the light, and his mind against a sudden anger that Melony felt quite clearly. "THIS WILL END NOW!"

The light intensified, growing outward, past the building and into the village, spreading through the entire area, where many of the Shasari were in the process of running to the aid of their comrades, changing shape even as they did so, while the majority of the others pulled children out of the way, hustling them into buildings where they could be protected from the invading group. Where it touched, those who were changing form reverted back to human, and those who were running found themselves unable to move.

The light didn't have any effect on Melony – aside from being so bright it hurt – so she broke as well, and followed in its path, hearing the sounds of battle get louder and harsher.

"Stop!"

Hu had managed to regain his own equilibrium and had followed Melony, and was now starting to regain his bluster.

Mitchell didn't even turn. She recognized the sounds, now, and knew that somehow the Light Ones had been brought in to help – although she didn't know how they'd found out what was going on – and where there were Light Ones, there almost certainly would be her Jaffa and the Atlanteans. Unless they'd brought an army, she knew there were too many cats and the place was going to turn into a slaughterhouse quickly. She ran after the light, which was getting brighter as it moved towards the battle as well.

There was a snarl from behind, and she felt something razor sharp slash across her thigh and a heavy weight crash into her, knocking her to the ground. She jerked around as she fell, rolling to face Hu, who had transformed into his own feline form and had attacked her. Obviously while the light prohibited other Shasari from changing shape, it didn't stop their leader, and he had decided to take this matter into his own hands. Paws.

The wicked claws scored deep gashes in her legs as she turned, but the move kept him from getting a grip on her, and made him miss when he snapped at her, his long teeth barely brushing against the side of her neck as he tumbled, his momentum carrying him over her to land in a heap several feet away.

He scrambled up, but now Talon was in control, and there was a wicked knife in either hand as Mitchell staggered to her feet as well, blood streaming down both legs. The Shasari godling snarled defiance and rushed at her, and Talon dropped, allowing the beast's momentum to once more carry it past, but this time Melony slashed out with both knives, and Hu screamed in fury and shock as he felt twin gashes opened in his underbelly. He stumbled as he passed her, but regained his feet quickly, his ears pinned at the side of his head, and his teeth showing in a fierce feline scream.

Talon dropped the knife in Melony's left hand and drew the zat, lightening quick even through the shock that was trying to claim his host. As Hu launched his next attack, the zat fired, knocking the cat back in mid leap. He fell in a heap, and the symbiote moved the zat, following the movement of the feline, ready to fire again and finish it.

No.

Talon was in charge just then, but Melony could still make her feelings known, and she did.

He'll come to and try again

We'll be gone. Let's go.

Talon grumbled about the decision, but linked as he was, he knew that Mitchell hated the thought of killing a Light One – even one that wasn't really a Light One.

He holstered the zat, and they moved, heading for the light as quickly as they could on legs that were trembling with every agonizing step.

OOOOOOOOO

Teal'c didn't see the blow that almost killed him. He saw the cat, but also saw four others all in a tangle with him and Ronon, and there was no way he could defend against all the claws and teeth. His armor covered most of his body; Jaffa armor, not Tau'ri, but there were places that it shifted in battle, and one of the felines managed to score a slash across his belly at the exact moment that his movements exposed it. The First Prime went down, one hand holding his gut, while the other slashed out at the cat with a knife easily as long and as sharp as the claws that had tried to disembowel him. The cat screamed, and the Jaffa was faintly aware of a brilliant light of some sort, even as he fell to the ground.

Suddenly the light was everywhere, and those who were fighting found themselves unable to move, human, Light One and Shasari all.

"Enough!" A piercing voice boomed, causing everyone to wince – as if the light itself hadn't been enough. "This must not be!"

Those Shasari who had been wounded suddenly found themselves healed – although they still couldn't move – and the humans and Light Ones who had been hurt were also suddenly pain free. Only the Jaffa were still bleeding, but of these, Teal'c was the only one who had been injured seriously. The rest had given far greater than they'd received. They were suddenly able to move, but everyone was shocked by the appearance of the light, and none moved.

"I will not allow this," the voice continued. "You will return to your home and leave my people be…"

"No!" This was from Teal'c, who was being propped up by Ronon. "We will not leave without Colonel Mitchell's return, and if anything has happened to her, we'll bring an army far worse than anything you'll be able to face."

His face was a ghastly color and pain pinched his expression, but there was no doubt that he was serious, and there was a murmur of agreement from the other Jaffa – and the humans among them. Mitchell was the goddess of the Jaffa, but she was also the friend of most everyone on Atlantis. They weren't going to leave without her.

The light that was so brilliant dimmed a little.

"She is unharmed."

Kale suddenly whipped his head around, turning at a movement from beyond the bright light. Stumbling toward them, an odd assortment of weapons strapped to her and blood soaking her slashed pants, was Melony Mitchell. Before he could move, there was a loud screech from above and all heads turned to see four impossibly huge eagles soaring in, talons flexed as they looked for targets. Following them were two Jumpers, and now just when it seemed everything was going to calm down, things were once more tense.