Place of Our Legacy

by firstprime1230

Earth has been overrun by the forces of the Ori. Beaten, demoralized and on the run in the Ancient city of Atlantis the survivors of Earth make a desperate gamble to save what little they have left. Arriving in a galaxy so different from their own, can they uphold the legacy left to them by the races that came before? And save a galaxy doomed to a suffer a fate worse than death.

8. Chapter 8

2180 Hours, August 24, 2183 (Council Calendar)
Atlantis, Unknown Planet, Milky Way Galaxy

Sheppard strolled out of the transporter closet and made his way to the large set of twin doors. Waiving his hand over the pad, a musical chime followed, and the doors slid open. The salty scent of the ocean filled his nostrils and the bright sunshine momentarily blinded him until his eyes adjusted. Stepping through the doors he walked out into the 'deck' of the city. More specifically, onto 'Merchant Row' as it had come to be known as: a mile long strip of one of the outer piers had been converted over the last few months by the civilians into a sort of marketplace. Shacks, tents, and even full-blown restaurants had been established as people tried to find things to keep occupied. The creation of something that reminded everyone of home was what they were looking for. Of what they once had. With some leftover and unused supplies, homemade clothing and decorations had been created to help everyone make their new home feel more, well, homey. Even the veterans of Atlantis who had lived there for years found themselves sprucing up their quarters with items that had been hand crafted by the civilians.

Even though not all the new inhabitants had the skills or knowledge to contribute to the medical, scientific, or military aspects of the Expedition, but they could help with day-to-day tasks and with things that kept up morale.

Things involving alcohol.

The Colonel was walking down the main street and through the crowds. On either side were vendors and food stands, who had managed to get extra food stores with permission from the senior staff since trading with Quarians had lifted rationing, and the smells and noise of people laughing and enjoying the beautiful day were enough to bring a smile to the man's face. He spotted Jaffa, human, and even a few Tok'ra throughout as the three races that had managed to escape the conquest of the Ori found themselves banding together more than ever before.

"Colonel Sheppard" a voice called out to him.

Turning, he saw a tall Athosian man smiling and walking towards him with a young man beside him. The two were carrying what looked like caramelized apples on sticks. The man was tall and had shoulder length brown hair and the boy was styled similarly. They both wore animal skin tunics and pants and carried leather satchels around their shoulders.

John smiled as he nodded to the two, "Halling, Jinto! I'm a little surprised to see you guys. I figured you'd still be on the mainland."

Atlantis had arrived on this newly discovered planet about two weeks prior after scout ships and Atlantis's long-range sensors had detected it. It was a lush, green world with an abundance of plant and animal life; an oasis hidden in the space beyond the reach of the Mass Relay network. From what their new allies had told them, it would take a ship using Eezo propelled FTL years to reach them, and that was assuming that they knew exactly where to go. Since arriving, the Athosians and other Pegasus cultures had been tasked with getting crops and livestock established on the mainland that Atlantis rested a few miles off the coast from. Thankfully, the planet's seasonal cycle seemed to be in the middle of its summer and based on its orbital period there would be plenty of time to get a decent yield harvested before the winter came.

"It was a particularly long day, so I thought I'd treat Jinto to some food and drink," Halling replied and took an enthusiastic bite out of his apple, "Still, work has been progressing faster than I expected. The farming techniques and technology your people have would have been a blessing."

"Having machines to do all the heavy lifting sure is easier. And yeah, I had the exact same thought," John replied as he eyed the treat with greedy eyes, "I feel like this is the first time I've been able to just take a minute for myself in weeks. Especially recently…"

"Colonel, is it true that they're going to start sending people out into the galaxy?" Jinto asked, excitement in his eyes.

John cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck, "Well, it's definitely on our to do list. But the General doesn't wanna get involved in anything else just yet. We're still making sure that this whole Quarian-Atlantis thing works out."

Jinto seemed disappointed, but Halling laid a comforting hand on his shoulder, "Jinto is hoping that he will be able to join your teams someday. When he is older, and able to make those decisions for himself," his father stated pointedly.

John ruffled the boy's head, "Relax kid. There's plenty of time for that stuff, right now you should focus on learning and staying school," he advised, knowing that pretty much every child under the age of eighteen had been put into the various classrooms that been established by Daniel and the other teachers.

"Yes, Jinto here has been learning much from his time in 'school'. I was skeptical at first, but I am glad that Teyla convinced me otherwise," he smiled at his son, "Well, we won't take up anymore of your time Colonel. Jinto wanted to meet with some his friends from school, and the parents will be there to get to know each other as well."

"Daniel's suggestion?" Sheppard asked to which Halling nodded, "Figures. Well, I'm sure I'll see you two around."

As the pair departed, John made his way through the street passing by more crowds of people. As he walked, he could hear shouts from the vendors crying out for customers to come and get whatever merchandise or food they had managed to scrounge up.

"Fish sticks! Get your fish sticks here! Fresh caught today!"

"Hand woven blankets!"

"Stuff from Earth! I've got tons of books and movies! Come trade if you've got anything worth wile!"

After a few more minutes Sheppard finally came to the structure that he had been looking for. A square, tin structure that admittedly didn't look all that well put together. The civilians had hastily put it together in the first few months after evacuating their Earth without any heavy equipment or tools as those items were prioritized for ship repairs and city projects. As a result, the building was pretty much an eyesore compared to the splendor and engineering perfection of the buildings and skyscrapers around it. Despite that, it was easily the busiest part of the area with dozens of people in and around it. As he neared the saloon style doors, he noticed the welded words 'Remembrance' plastered in paint above.

Just as he was about to walk through, a pair of Jaffa stumbled out with smiles on their faces and a pair of Athosian women on their arms who looked equally thrilled. They noticed the spiky-haired man and offered him a nod of respect and acknowledgement before moving on, laughing and enjoying each other's company as they went. Sheppard shook his head before continuing into the building. Pushing the doors open with a squeak, he was bombarded with a stinging smell and bombastic thumps of rhythm. Everywhere people were sitting at tables or standing around enjoying the plethora of alcohol that was being poured from bottles and taps in the walls.

At one table a some off duty marines were toasting one another before knocking back some clear colored liquor. Another had a mixture of humans and Jaffa celebrating a young man's twenty-first birthday based on the homemade signs around there table. A Jaffa handed the kid a strange looking drink that caused him to sniff and turn away in disgust. A chorus of laughter echoed from the other Jaffa and adults surrounding him, before an older man with a white beard and a green flannel patted the young man on the back. Seeing his encouragement, the boy turned back to his drink and gulped it down as fast as he could. Once he'd finished the last sip, he slammed the empty cup on the table and erupted into a coughing fit. Everyone had another good laugh and began to drink as well, the Jaffa who gave the drink and the older man, who Sheppard had to guess was the birthday boy's father, tapped their cups together before taking large sips. In the far corner a small band was playing a cover of 'I Drink Alone' with a decent sized crowd dancing and swaying to the beat.

Where they got the instruments, John still hadn't been able to figure out.

Slipping and sliding through the different groups as he avoided being knocked over by some of the more drunken patrons, John finally managed to make his way to the bar on the far side of the tavern. The fifteen-foot-long bar was welded together and slapped with some wood finish gathered from Lantea's mainland before they'd made the jump to this new universe. Behind it was a large shelf holding bottles of only one kind of clear liquid, the hand-built distilleries they had were effective but didn't offer a lot of variety, and a few taps for the one kind of beer they managed to brew. Still, it was enough to sate the thirst of everyone who came to Remembrance. Along the walls hung the flags of various nations and worlds, a testament to everything they'd left behind and want to remember. The Colonel looked around at the faces of those sitting on the stools before finding the people he was looking for.

A dark-skinned woman wearing a leather tunic and grey cloth pants was sitting and sipping on a pint of gold colored beer when she noticed Sheppard walking over, "John! Welcome! Major Lorne and I were just speaking to Jal here about how he's fairing now that he lives in Atlantis."

John walked over and stood behind her as he looked at the man and Quarian to her right, "Hey Teyla, Lorne. So, you likin' the accommodations so far Jal? Probably a little different than you're used to I'm guessin'," he then noticed that the young alien had a straw-like device going from a drink in his hand to the port on the end of his helmet, "I thought you guys couldn't eat or drink any of our stuff?"

Jal held up a gloved finger as he pulled the straw out and swallowed whatever he had just drank and shook his helmet in response to the taste, "… Sorry about that, took a big gulp that time. Quarians aren't known for creating the most… flavorful of drinks. But we have a few libations that we're allowed to have on special occasions."

Lorne nodded as he sipped his own drink, "Yeah, kid here was just explaining how they don't really get any time off when they're in the Fleet. I guess when most of your ships are being held together with duct tape and super glue you can't really afford to take some R&R."

Jal tilted his head in confusion, "I'm not sure what those words mean but I think I understand the context," he took another sip and recoiled again as it went down his throat, "Yes, it would be very bad if our engineers showed up for shifts intoxicated. Our survival depends on everyone preforming their duties at peak efficiency."

"So, this must be quite strange for you and your people to see," Teyla commented, turning in her chair to face the crowds of people behind them.

A few more people had joined the crowd in front of the band and were enjoying the band play 'Come Together'. The group of marines were standing in front bobbing their heads up and down now along with a few Jaffa who didn't quite seem to understand what they were doing. Almost everyone in the bar seemed to be enjoying the band that was putting in a lot of effort to show the patrons a good time.

"Colonel! The usual?" a voice called to him.

Turning he saw the aging man behind the bar polishing a glass dressed in dirty overalls and a plain white t-shirt. Nick was a bartender in Colorado before coming to Atlantis, so when this place had been built, he quickly took over and plied his craft. His white hair and beard had affectionately earned him the nickname 'St Nick', but he simply said he was a provider of stress relief and a listener.

John rolled his eyes in amusement, "Sure Nick, the usual of only two options. Why change it up."

Nick nodded, "Coming right up."

A few moments later the bartender slid a pint of golden, foamy liquid over the Colonel who grabbed it without hesitation. He raised the glass to the man, who nodded with a smile in return, and took a sip. Feeling the cold, hops flavored drink go down his throat and take away the week's stress that had been building up. Turning back to the young Quarian sitting beside him sipping his drink and talking to Teyla and Lorne, he suddenly realized something.

He gazed around the room looking before looking back to him, "Hey Jal, how come none of your people are here with you?"

Jal set his drink down and rubbed his arm in his usual way, "Well, like I said. My people aren't used to having so much free time on their hands. Most stay in our embassy looking to stay busy. Others go to learn about your history in your archives. We don't really do well with anything that doesn't involve some kind of goal or purpose."

"But not you?" Lorne asked before taking another sip.

Jal laughed and nodded, "Well, I've always been a bit different if you ask my friends. Especially Rola."

"Speaking of which, what is the little sparkplug getting into if she's not with you?" Sheppard asked.

"I think she's with Dr Jackson and Miss Mal Doran. She's been spending a lot of time in his classes," he replied after a thought, "Major Lorne offered to bring me down here instead. He said I'd learn a lot more here anyway."

Lorne smirked and took another sip while Teyla shook her head and did the same. John agreed with the Major on that; just the thought of having to sit through the archeologist's classes gave the officer a headache. Still, he had hoped that the Quarians would have tried to integrate with the rest of the city by now. Jal made a good point that they seemed to not understand the concept of taking a break and enjoying the day very often. Seeing how they had become that way, John wonder if their people would ever reach that point. Maybe if they'd only fled on their ships, as opposed to having the whole of Atlantis to live on.

The sound of music fading out interrupted his thoughts, "Alrighty folks, we're gonna take a thirty-minute break and we'll be right back! Don't forget to tip your servers and gracious bartender… well, tip them with appreciation!" the lead singer clarified since there was no money to be tipped.

With that the band walked off stage and the crowd began to disperse. Some patrons began to funnel out of the tavern, while others went back to their tables and groups to continue their festivities. Lorne finished his beer and slammed the mug on the counter before standing up and putting on his jacket.

"Alright, I need to get back. Promised some kids I'd teach them some stuff about painting," the Major stated, but after seeing the looks on his superior and friends' faces he shrugged, "Hey, Jackson doesn't get the monopoly on teaching. Jal, hope you had a good time. I'll see you around."

As the Major walked past the crowds and out the door, John took his seat so that he could continue to sip his beer in peace. There was a bit of an awkward silence as the three continued to drink, unsure of where to take the conversation next. Noticing a group of people setting down some sticks and walking away from a table, John smirked and stood up before motioning for Jal and Teyla to follow him. Jal tilted his head in confusion but followed the humans over to the large table. It was wooden with green cloth covering the surface, as well as six holes at the corners and edges. Sheppard grabbed one of the polished sticks and picked up a single white ball resting on the table.

"Jal, you guys ever played pool before?"

"… How can 'play' a tank full of water?"

"… Don't worry kid, just stick with me and you'll get the hang of all this."

---

"I'm still not getting used to this," Rola muttered as she sat at her desk and tried to ignore the stares that were being directed her way.

The young Quarian was surrounded by other humans all sitting in similar desks. Most of them were around her age, at least from what she'd been able to figure out on her own based on their looks. She'd spoken to very few, however, despite having sat through several lectures alongside them. Rola had very little experience with aliens, let alone alien adolescents. But since she'd arrived with the Quarian contingent, she'd made an effort to try and learn as much as she could about their new human allies. If she was going to be an effective ambassador, she needed to know the people who were coming to the aid of the Quarians.

She was quite surprised to be given the chance to be one of few chosen to come here given that she'd only just finished her Pilgrimage. The Admiralty said they wanted both her and Jal to be here given the good relations they'd already established. Plus, she wasn't looking forward being back on the Rayya, so it didn't take much to convince her to join. Still, there were quite a few objections raised when it was announced they would be going. More so for her than Jal, given her history. But she'd be damned if she was going to let that stop her from proving that she deserved to be here.

"Ehh, it doesn't really help when you don't make an effort to talk to people," a voice whispered to her right, having heard the Quarian whisper.

Sighing, she turned to the human girl sitting beside her. The first day the delegation had arrived, many of the humans had come to see the 'aliens' that had arrived in their city. Most of them had stayed outside the embassy at a safe distance, and Rola couldn't help but feel like an exhibit on display. However, as the days passed some of the humans began to venture into the section of the tower that had been granted to them. They mostly tried to make small talk and ask a question or two, but it was obvious that they were very nervous around her people. But the Quarians could see that it was from a place of curiosity and a lack of interaction with aliens, and not from prejudice as they were used to dealing with. The human civilians in Atlantis only ever interacted with the Jaffa and Tok'ra who, apart from some genetic and internal physical differences, may as well have been human. With this in mind, they tried to be as accommodating with the humans who wanted to know more about the Quarian people so that this fledging alliance could grow stronger.

But there had been one human who had not been nervous or apprehensive about learning from the Quarians, much to Rola's annoyance.

"Eleni, I told you already… I don't want to be a walking encyclopedia here to answer every one of your questions. We have historians at our embassy if you're that desperate for answers," Rola whispered as she tried to pay attention to Dr Jackson's lecture, "I'm not here to socialize, I'm here to learn. Now please be quiet."

Eleni pouted as she leaned closer, "Yeah, but I'd rather hear about stuff in your life! We're the same age, right? I've never had a non-human friend!"

Rola's glowing eyes narrowed behind her helmet, "I don't remember agreeing to be friends… we don't even know each other."

The girl shrugged, "Well, I don't think anyone ever verbally makes an agreement. Besides! Me and Jal have been hanging out a lot during our free time. We keep inviting you!"

"I know…"

With that the Quarian turned her head back to the front of the room, making it clear that she was ending the conversation. Eleni frowned but got the message and turned back as well to see Dr Jackson switching to a new slide on the screen behind him. He was dressed in a brown sports coat and had white khakis on. His hair was neatly trimmed, and his glasses were catching a reflection of the screen as he occasionally looked at it as reference for what he was speaking about. He was the epitome of the social studies teacher. The teenager really felt like she was in a college course, almost enough to forget where she really was.

On the screen, images of massive purple, organic-looking ships and aliens with green skin and white hair were being displayed. The images sent chills up the spines of the students in the room who knew that not only were these images real, but the race that was being presented was something that at one time had the chance to do them real harm.

"… after which the surviving Ancients fled back to Earth through the Stargate and allowed Atlantis to rest on the ocean floor for the next ten thousand years. In that time, the Wraith continued their culling of the thousands of human worlds spread across the galaxy. From what we gathered, numerous civil wars broke out between the Wraith, as well as a few minor ones with other races that rose and fell during that same period."

Rola raised her hand, something that humans apparently did when they wished to speak, "Why would they fight each other? Wouldn't winning a galactic war make their societal cohesion stronger?"

Vala Mal Doran, who was sitting at Dr Jackson's desk with her feet up, shook her head, "The Wraith are like the Goa'uld. They're a predator species with a nasty pension for aggression. With no one left to fight, they had to look for fights in each other."

Daniel nodded in agreement as he walked around the front of the classroom, "I'd say that it's a similar situation to what happened to the Krogan in this galaxy. Before the Salarians came into the picture. A naturally aggressive species sometimes can be its own worst enemy without a common goal for their society to direct its energy towards."

Rola nodded at that, finding it hard to disagree, "I suppose so. Still, I'd like to think that a species advanced enough to achieve interstellar flight would at the very least be loyal to their own."

"Well, not every civilization has to be so concerned with that like the Quarians," Eleni pointed out, but after noticing Rola's narrowed eyes she hastily elaborated, "No offense! I mean, uh, like since you guys have to worry about the society as a whole and not necessarily the individual it makes sense that you'd be like a family. But I was reading a little bit from the extranet the other day. The Turians have had a decent amount of civil unrest since coming onto the galactic stage."

Rola stared at the red head for a few moments before nodding slowly, "Yes, I suppose that is a fair point. We have no choice but to trust one another and avoid conflict. If we didn't, Quarian society would crumble and we'd go extinct."

The girl nodded emphatically, "I mean, I really admire how close you all are! It's amazing to see just how far your people came despite everything that happened!" Eleni exclaimed, then becoming a bit more solemn, "It makes me hopeful that… well, maybe we have a chance to do the same."

The room got quiet after that as everyone contemplated her words. The other humans and Jaffa sitting around them were deep in thought, the reminder at how precarious their situation still was being something they didn't care to be reminded of. Rola on the other hand looked at the faces of those around her and thought of her own people. She understood that these humans and Jaffa were in a similar situation to her people, but times like these it helped to put a personal face on the allies that her people were now with.

Daniel watched closely as the two interacted, ready to jump in and intervene if someone started hitting some topics that were a bit too sensitive. But he also wanted this kind of dialogue to be had between everyone, especially the Quarians and his people. If this alliance was going to become permanent, the people needed ton trust and know each other. Not just the leaders or the military. Rola had been sitting in on his lectures the last two weeks, and he'd quickly noticed her aptitude for learning and wanted to know more about them. He'd also seen Eleni, whom many had begun to call his protégé, trying very hard to become the young Quarian woman's friend. He just hoped she didn't push too hard and end up causing an incident.

Clearing his throat, Daniel changed the subject and returned to his lecture, "Eventually, the Wraith had quelled all resistance throughout the galaxy and from within their own society. But this was a massive use of their resources and, as a result, by the time the Expedition made their way to Pegasus the Wraiths fleets and population had been reduced to a fraction of what they'd been at their peak."

"And that's how you guys were able to survive against them right? I mean, if they were able to take on the Ancients in their height there's no way we could have," a young man behind Rola pointed out.

"Well, I don't want to take anything away from the men and women who were on the front lines in fighting the Wraith. Thanks to their tenacity and skills we were able to score more than few impressive victories over the Wraith. But yes, those skills combined with the Wraith's weakened numbers and the civil war that erupted from being awoken too early allowed us to stay one step ahead."

"Have you ever seen a Wraith Dr Jackson?" another asked.

Daniel shook his head, "No, I wasn't part of the Expedition. I'd only been to Atlantis once before when we were trying to find information about a certain planet in the Ancient archives… but that's for another lecture," he then looked at his watch and grimaced, "Alright, let's end it there today. I've got some meetings I need to get to, and you've all had enough of me talking at you. I want you all to read the articles I've sent to your Omni tools. We're gonna go over some more of the Citadel races next time and start learning about what First Contact might look like."

That certainly go the students, well the human and Jaffa ones, excited. They'd been cooped up in the city for months and the idea of getting out into the galaxy and meeting more races was an exciting one. As they all started to get up and leave, Eleni turned and faced the Quarian next to her.

"Hey… sorry if I made you mad. I wasn't trying to insult you and your people, I just wanted you to know that-"

"-Don't worry about it. I know you weren't trying to… some things are just hard to talk about. We've never had anyone to talk about it with outside of our people so… it's just a little strange is all."

Eleni patted her on the back, causing her flinch slightly, "Hey! I'd never even met an alien before I came here, so this is all really strange for me too!"

Rola nodded in agreement as she too had little experience with aliens. Particularly humans.

"Everything alright with you two?" the voice of their teacher interrupted as he moved over to them with his hands in his pockets, "Hope you didn't ruffle each other's feathers too much?"

Eleni looked over at the Quarian and shook her head, "Nope! We're good!"

The man saw that Rola nodded in agreement, so he dropped it and moved on, "How have you been liking the class so far?"

"It's been… interesting to say the least. We don't really learn about things like this in the Flotilla. Most of what we do learn has to do with hull repair and engine maintenance," she replied, glancing at the desks behind her in thought, "And we don't really do classrooms like this. Everything is taught on the job so that Quarian children have a chance to get used to being involved."

"Wow, I didn't know they started you guys off so young," Eleni commented with a frown.

"Well, we don't really have a choice. For Quarians, it's society first. Everything is for the species since there is so few of us left. You grow up fast, or…"

Vala glanced up from her seat, "I was working as a servant for the Goa'uld from the time I could speak. Became a host when I wasn't much older than you two. People on Earth… well, before everything, didn't have to face situations that forced them to grow up faster."

Eleni folded her arms around her mid-section, "But now we have… do…"

Daniel nodded, "That's why it's really important we make sure this alliance works. There's a lot we can learn from the Quarians, and not just technology stuff or how this galaxy works. We've don't pretty well so far adapting to our new lives, but they've been doing this for three hundred years. If we're gonna continue to survive, we need to know what might be heading our way as a society."

Rola took note of something that the man had just said, "Speaking of how the galaxy works, I've been hearing rumors that your people are going to start sending teams out into the galaxy! I thought General O'Neill wanted to wait?"

Daniel frowned a bit at that, "Well, for now those are just rumors… but, now that we've got our supply situation under control and we've learned almost everything we needed to thanks to you guys, we've started to talk about sending out SG teams on missions to find new trading partners and worlds that have resources we might need. Plus, there's so many new worlds to explore and species to meet."

Rola stiffened a bit at that, "Ahh… I see. I suppose it was only a matter of time before you decided to venture out…"

Daniel noticed her tone of voice and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Don't worry Rola, we don't plan on abandoning this alliance. We always remember our friends," he said with a smile, noticing her eyes lighting up a bit at that, "But everyone in the Program signed up to explore and meet new cultures. It's who we are. So, now that Atlantis is safe on this new world and our people are out of danger, we think it's time to get back out there."

"Hey! That reminds me! Have the polls ended for the name of our new world?" Vala asked, finally standing and walking around the desk to join the small circle, "I'm getting pretty tired of having to call this place by that stupid numbering system the SGC uses."

Daniel sighed but couldn't help but agree. Since they'd arrived here people had been wanting to name the planet something, anything, but the senior staff decided that this should be something that everyone had a say in. After all, a lot of the decisions that had been made by them were on behalf of thousands of humans and Jaffa in the city who had no say in what they were doing or where they went. Granted, it was out of necessity as they couldn't afford the time or energy wasted in taking a vote on every major decision. But this was everyone's new world, and they all deserved to have their voices heard.

"They're taking the last votes today, and we'll announce the name tonight around sunset. Jack said they're planning something special too. A little celebration to help lighten things up."

---

Rust colored door slid open, allowing Jack O'Neill to walk through and into a large room filled with computers, work benches, and lots of pieces of what looked like junk that he was sure did a million different things that would never understand. Wires, weapons, suits of armor, and all manner of equipment were scattered throughout and made the place look like a tornado had torn though the place. He made his way around the benches and computers, passing by other scientists, engineers, and Tok'ra that were doing God knows what, but he was sure that it was stuff that would probably result in some kind of disaster at some point down the road. He made eye contact with one of the Tok'ra, Katnel was his name, who nodded at the man. Jack simply nodded back and continued on his way. He still wasn't the biggest fan of the Tok'ra given his experiences, but he tried to keep things more civil with them and not be as much of an ass as Daniel described it.

A young, blonde haired Airforce Lieutenant was walking by when she noticed the General, and quickly stopped to salute him, "General, sir. Careful if you're going to see Colonel Carter… she's in the 'zone'," she informed him with an apprehensive look.

Jack chuckled a bit and returned the salute, "So I've been hearing. I appreciate the heads-up Lieutenant, carry on."

She nodded and went back to her work, allowing the General to continue onward towards the center of the lab. He started to see less people the closer he got, and he guessed that everyone wanted to give the SG-1 veteran her space so that she could work without interruption. Of course, this was a courtesy given freely out of respect, compared the demand that Mckay no doubt would have made in comparison.

Finally seeing the person he was looking for Jack called out, "Carter, I've been trying to get a hold of you for the last hour," but he noticed she didn't even look his way, "Uh, Carter? Hellooooo? Carter? CARTER!?"

That finally got her attention, and she jumped a bit as she turned to see her commanding officer, "Oh, sir!" and she stood and saluted, "Sorry about that! I've… uh, just been really focused."

Jack shook his head in amusement as he returned the salute, "Yeah, I can see that. Looks like you've been living in here," he noted the stacks of coffee mugs, food wrappers, and pillow at her large desk, "What have you been doing in here? Mckay said he's hardly seen you in briefings the last two days."

She nodded at that as she went to sit back down, "Sorry, I've been working with some of that Element Zero we got from the Quarians..." she stated, frustration creeping into her voice as she stared back at her computer screen.

Jack looked over her shoulder and tried to decipher the readings and lines of code on it only to give up after about fifteen seconds as everything looked like complete gibberish to him. He could see on the table was a small device that seemed to be suspending a blue, glowing piece of… something in the air, which was all house in a small golden energy field. He guessed that was some the 'eezo', the shorthand for Element Zero and one he liked, that she was working with.

He leaned his backside against the desk and folded his arms, "Haven't seen you this frustrated in a while."

"It's just… this stuff makes no sense! I mean, we've come across a lot of stuff that hasn't made sense over the years, but a naturally occurring element that reduces the mass of objects enough to accelerate them to faster-than-light speeds? In real space/time? Then there's the whole biotics thing," she let out a deep breath and swiveled in her chair to meet Jack's gaze, "I guess I'm just so used to how physics and technology works in our universe. Worked. I'm not used to dealing with such a, well, foreign technology base."

Jack smiled at that, "Oh. The irony of that. We've gotten spoiled these last couple of years. Remember when we could barely dial home without exploding a planet?"

"I don't think we ever were that bad."

"Maybe, but there were definitely some close calls. So, what exactly have you been trying to do with this stuff," he asked as he gestured to the shielded element behind him.

"Well, I'm trying to see what it's going to take to start manufacturing our own small arms using this element. Our current ballistic firearms are basically useless now given the widespread use of these weapons and kinetic barriers in the galaxy," she replied as she pulled up some schematics of the guns they'd gotten from the Quarians.

Now she had Jack's full attention, much to her amusement. There was a twinkle in his eyes that was there whenever talk of weapons and 'space guns' was happening. He was like a kid in a candy store when he'd tested out those 'mass effect' weapons for the first time. To be fair, everyone who'd tried them since the Daedalus brought the first shipment felt the same way.

"And? What's the verdict?" he asked excitedly.

Carter tilted her head slightly as she thought about it, "We've hit a bit of a road bump. Without larger quantities of eezo coming in regularly, we won't be able to make enough weapons to supply every one of our Marines, Airmen, and Jaffa. The best we can do with the limited supply the Quarians gave us is make some for our SG teams."

Jack looked disappointed at that, "Hmm, well that figures… can't we get more of that stuff from the Quarians?"

Sam shook her head, "I'm afraid not. They only have limited mining operations to get the material since most major sources are either controlled by other species or mercenary groups. And buying it from those who have is… expensive to say the least. Especially for the Quarians. And they need all they can get for their own ships and equipment."

"Meaning we need to find our own supply somewhere out there," he concluded, "Or start buying from other people besides the Quarians… with money we don't have."

"Good thing we've been talking about sending out teams soon," she remarked, then a thought came to her, "Oh! I forgot, the Tok'ra and Jaffa have been making some progress in our energy weapons division."

"Oh?"

"They said it's still a bit away, but they're hoping to have some prototypes in a few weeks for field testing. Hopefully, if everything goes well, we'll be able to outfit all our troops with them."

Jack nodded at that and pictured the idea in his head. Since they'd discovered the kind of weapons infantry used in this new universe, Jack had made it a priority for them to find a way to balance out the disparity between their own forces and the rest of the galaxy's. Thankfully, the Jaffa's energy weapons were the one thing that would give them an edge given the complete lack of them anywhere else. But as powerful as they were, they weren't very suitable for long range combat and lacked versatility. The Tok'ra and few Jaffa weapons masters they had were tasked with finding a way to create an entirely new arsenal of weapons. If successful, their ground forces would have a significant advantage over everyone else.

"Can't wait to try them out. If they're anything like Ronon's gun I'll be one happy camper," he replied, eager to try out the new weapons.

His days now were mostly spent authorizing and denying project requests or making sure that their forces were keeping their edges sharp for when they would start heading out into the galaxy. He sat at his desk, longing for the days of stepping through the Stargate and beating the bad guys. He found him himself going to the gym and gun range during his time off just to get away from the mundaneness of his day-to-day life as it had become. On the bright side, he was in the best shape he'd been in since those days of leading SG-1. But it was the little things like test experimental weapons really brought some sunshine to his day.

Jack looked down at his watch and winced at the time, "Damn, hate to cut this short Carter but I gotta go see our suited friends. I'll swing by afterwards and we can go grab some lunch on the pier."

Sam smiled at that, "Sounds good to me, sir. I'm gonna get back to trying to figure out this element. I know I'm close to understanding it..."

With that, she was back in her 'zone' and therefore completely unreachable by anyone. Jack shook his head and turned around to head back out of the lab. The city corridors were especially empty today, not surprising given the rays of sun that shown through the windows and on the decks of the city. This new planet was a pretty 'standard' habitable world, comparable to Earth and all the other ones they'd visited. Today was a sunny, warm day that had everyone outside. Anyone who was left inside was either working or taking a nap from sleep exhaustion.

Everyone except the Quarians it seemed. Jack still didn't really understand these aliens. He got why they were in space in the first place, sure, but what he didn't understand was why they bothered to keep flying through space at all. Why not find a planet to settle down on like they had? Sure, there wasn't too many planets out there that could support life that hadn't been claimed, at least from what Daniel told him. But there definitely were some! If no one was going to help them, then why not damn the rest of the galaxy and go out on their own to find?

Jack sighed as he entered the transporter. He knew it wasn't as simple as he was making it. He couldn't help but feel that way though. Earth had been making their own decisions since the moment they first activated the Stargate. Even when under the protection of the Asgard, they still made their own decisions. They lived with consequences sure, and fixed whatever mistakes they made. And they made plenty. But they never let anyone else dictate what they did or stop them from trying at the very least. Then again, they'd never had to deal with the situations the Quarians did. Until now at least.

Stepping out of the Transporter and making his way down the long hallway, he came to a large set of doors guarded by an Airforce SF on one side and a Quarian Marine on the other. He nodded to them both, who returned the gesture before the human swiped his hand over the pad on the side of the door. The entrance slid open with a chime allowing the man to walk through before it shut behind him.

The Quarian Embassy was simple; a room about the size of the Gate-room at the top of one of the smaller towers with two levels. The upper level held several private meeting rooms along with the Quarians' sleeping quarters. The senior staff had offered to put them up in a more comfortable part of the city, but the Quarians had insisted that they sleep in the same place as their people working in the Embassy. Jack figured it was because they were a race of workaholics, but Daniel thought it was because of the close, familial connection they all shared that caused them to want to be stay together. Either way, the place felt a little crowded to the General's liking. On the ground floor, there was a few desks and workstations that Quarians were sitting at, their orange holographic screens lit up. Jack wasn't exactly sure what they were working on, but thanks to the extranet connection they'd set up it could have been any number of things from supply requisition for the Flotilla to simple family calls.

As he walked to the center of the room where the largest desk sat, a was Quarian in fine looking suit was sitting down. In front of him on the other side of the desk was an older man dressed in a grey cloth tunic. He had a neatly trimmed, ivory beard and hair that rimmed the crown of his head while the top was balding, and in the center of his forehead was a golden symbol of a snake. Despite his obvious age, he held himself with strength and wisdom that made it clear to anyone who saw him that he was not simply a frail old man.

The Quarian looked up at the approaching General and stood to greet him along with the older man, "Ah, General O'Neill. I was beginning to wonder if you'd forgotten about this meeting," and extended his three fingered hand.

Jack took it and shook it firmly, trying to ignore the odd sensation of feeling only three digits, before turning and offering his whole forearm to the man beside him, "Admiral Zorah, Bra'tac. Sorry about that, got held up listening to Carter's tech talk."

"It is no trouble O'Neill. I was just sharing some of the Jaffa's history with Admiral Zorah while we waited for you to arrive," Bra'tac brushed off the man's tardiness with a wave.

Zorah nodded as they all took a seat, "And as much as I'd like to sit here and continue to listen to the wise words of Master Bra'tac, I believe there is a lot we need to talk about," seeing the human and Jaffa leader nodding in agreement he continued, "Since this is our first official Embassy meeting, informal as it is, I'd like to say once again: the Quarian people are in your debt. With this alliance between our peoples, I truly believe that the Quarians may once again claim a place in the galaxy."

"And we hope that with your help, the people of Atlantis may once again prosper and find new purpose for ourselves, and one day return to our former strength and create a safe future for our children," Bra'tac replied eloquently.

Jack looked between the two as he listened to their genuine words, "Uh, yeah. What he said," he awkwardly replied, causing Bra'tac to shake his head, "I mean… we really, really appreciate all the help you folks have given us. It's nice not having to ration every meal."

Admiral Zorah nodded, "I am glad our two peoples have been able to offer one another so much. It has brought hope to many of our own that we are not so alone in the galaxy anymore."

Jack appreciated the Quarian's words, knowing exactly what he meant, but decided that they should move onto why they were here, "So, you said something about needing to talk to us. Something important?"

The Admiral nodded and pulled up his Omni tool, expanding the screen so that both Jack and Bra'tac could see, "There are a few things that I would like to discuss before that. I wanted to know how the cross-training of our Marines with your own forces have been going. From your perspective."

Jack leaned back and crossed his hands behind his head, "Pretty good actually. Your guys definitely seem to know their stuff, and they've been training our Marines and Airmen on how to use all that extra fancy equipment in the field."

Since the Quarians had established themselves in the city, it had been decided that their Marines and Atlantean forces should get used to working with one another. The Quarians had less front-line combat experience than their human and Jaffa counterparts. On the other hand, they had access to a lot more versatile equipment and technology, and so they had been teaching them the basics of combat tech, kinetic barriers, and other things that would give the Atlanteans a much-needed edge in future conflicts. Not to mention the senior staff and the Admiralty felt it was important that their troops start to learn how to work together as soon as possible in case any… incidents that required both parties' military forces occurred.

"I'm glad to hear it. My men have told me they've enjoyed training in your simulated environments. I'm afraid they're limited to weapons ranges and small corridors back in the Flotilla," Zorah replied as he started to look over some of the training reports, "I'm hopeful that they'll learn from some of the experience your troops have as well. We rarely get into armed conflicts besides the occasional pirate raid."

Jack nodded at that, "Our guys have been around the block, that's for sure. Of course, nothing beats real, boots on the ground experience."

"It is my hope that we will not need to 'put boots on the ground' anytime soon," Bra'tac commented, sharing a look with the two others sitting down.

"Agreed. Still, it is comforting to know that should such a time come my marines will be prepared. Of course, an armed conflict would still be disastrous for our troops… which brings me to the next topic," Zorah nodded and switched over to another report, "I understand that the Tok'ra are making some progress in developing a Tretonin formula that will be viable for Quarian use?"

"Yes, Anise informed us today via a subspace communication that they tested several variations of the drug on Quarian DNA samples. The results were promising…" Bra'tac trailed off.

"But?" Zorah questioned.

Bra'tac sighed, "It seems that they are still having issues making it broadly compatible for different samples Quarian DNA the way it is for all humans and Jaffa. Normally a Goa'uld symbiote is able to bond to any host regardless of genetic make-up, but the Tretonin was specifically engineered with humans, and by extension Jaffa, in mind. I'm afraid the science of it all is far too complicated for myself to understand, but from Anise has explained it seems as though they will have to completely rework the drug from its most basic components."

Zorah sighed but nodded as he leaned back in his chair, "Yes that seemed to be the general consensus among our own geneticists. I suppose it wouldn't be as simple as slapping some medi-gel on a wound and waiting an hour."

Jack nodded, "Yeah… its complicated stuff. Plus, the whole having to take it forever thing never really appealed to me… uh, no offense," he quickly added, not thinking about the other two's weakened or nonexistent immune systems.

Zorah waved him off, "No need to apologize General. I've started to become used to your people's… lack of knowledge about the way this galaxy works. I find it charming in a way. Most people actively seek to insult us any chance they get."

Jack rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "Right… so, what was that important thing you wanted to talk about? I get the feeling that you wanted to do more than go over these reports that we've all read… already."

Zorah nodded but didn't say anything. In fact, he seemed to fidget ever so slightly as he seemed to be trying to find right words to say. It was an odd sight that neither Jack nor Bra'tac had seen before. All the Quarian Admirals seemed cool and collected, and they had to be given the thousands of ships and millions of lives they were responsible for. Zorah in particular seemed as levelheaded as they came. But something had him nervous, which put the Jaffa and human on edge.

"Back on the Flotilla I, along with Admiral Xen, are in charge of our research division regarding any and all technologies that may prove of some use to the fleet. Most of this is gathered from worlds or stations that are willing to trade in exchange for Eezo or precious metals," he explained.

Jack folded his arms and clenched his jaw, somehow sensing that he was not going to like the answer to his coming question, "And the rest of these projects? What are they researching?"

Zorah sighed, "Geth technology. Specifically, how best to fight them."

Bra'tac and Jack shared a look. This was not something that their new allies had mentioned before. Not even once. Jack leaned forward and stared right into the glowing eyes of the Admiral.

"Are you saying that the Quarians are looking for a way to launch an offensive against the Geth?" his voice was crisp and clear.

"Yes. We are. This has always been a long-term goal of our people. Since the day we were forced to flee from our home system and our colonies," Zorah explained, staring right back at the General with conviction.

"And we're just hearing about this now?" Jack asked, a loss of patience evident in his tone.

"We had to be sure we could trust you. And after the last few weeks of researching your own history, I came to believe that you would be able to help us in this regard… help me in my research. There's a reason I requested be a part of this delegation," the Admiral explained.

Bra'tac raised a hand to his chin, "I have been reading much about this new galaxy we find ourselves in. Is it not considered illegal by the Citadel Council to provoke the Geth into battle?"

Zorah nodded, "Technically yes, but this mostly applies to worlds and governments associated with the Citadel who would face sanctions and possible expulsion. As we are already exiles, we have little risk of reprisal."

"Hold on. What do you mean you think we'd be able to help you in this batshit crazy plan?" Jack asked loudly.

Zorah pulled up his Omni-tool and changed the screen to show various SGC mission files pertaining to one particular subject. Numerous images of robotic insect-like creatures crawling all over the walls of the SGC, a large spear-like ship made of the same material over a lush garden world surrounded by hammer shaped ivory vessels, and a cold, stone-faced Colonel Carter being held by Teal'c just before the event horizon of a Stargate.

"These 'Replicators' as you call them, showed me that you have not only had trouble with machines and AI in the past, but you have a similar distaste to them as we do," the Quarian clarified.

Jack stared at the images for a moment before his gaze drifted back to Zorah, "Well… the situation was a little different."

"The Replicators were a far more formidable and dangerous enemy than these Geth appear to be. By your own reports they have not ventured out of their area of the galaxy in many generations," Bra'tac pointed out, "If they were still a threat to the Quarian people as you seem to think, would they not have tried to find you or attack other worlds?"

Zorah shook his head, "They wouldn't risk the wrath of the whole galaxy coming down on them. They're content to remain in the Veil and simply bide their time. But I can assure you, they have not simply remained idle in their isolation. Many among our people have speculated that they are building a war machine."

That certainly raised Bra'tac and Jack's alertness. Part of the reason that Jack had ordered a lockdown of the city, baring their meetings with the Quarians, was that he did not want them getting into any kind of major conflict with other races or mercenary organizations. Thankfully, this galaxy seemed to be a lot more peaceful than their own, for the most part. There was no war going on, and as long as they stayed away from the Terminus Systems they could avoid contact with pirates and raiders. But if the Geth were mobilizing for conflict…

"Do you have any solid intel on this?" Jack asked.

Zorah was silent for a moment, "… No. No one's been able to get a probe into the Veil without it being destroyed or disabled by the Geth."

"So, this speculation has no basis in fact?" Bra'tac clarified.

"I assure you Master Bra'tac, the Geth are extremely dangerous. When they decide to come in force, we will all be in peril."

"Which is why you're looking for a way to strike first before that happens," Jack surmised, sighing and rubbing his temple, "And you think we've got something that can help you do that?"

Zorah shrugged a bit, "I don't know if you do or not. But I know that you recognize the danger the Geth pose. And with your past experiences with machines, your technology, and militaristic society I had hoped you would be willing to help us."

"You mean help you more than the Tretonin and alliance we already have made?" Jack asked annoyed.

Bra'tac placed a hand on the man's shoulder and gave him a look that he knew all too well. Jack let out a breath and held up his hands and muttered a quiet 'sorry'. The Jaffa nodded and turned back to the Admiral, a look of understanding on his face.

"I can understand my friend's frustration Admiral Zorah. From what you are saying, it seems as though your people have allied with us for the purpose of drawing us into a war that we are not equipped to fight. This seems to be contrary to everything that has been presented to us so far in our fragile alliance," Bra'tac pointed out, noticing that the Admiral seemed to be even more uncomfortable now, "I believe the Admiral speaks for himself and not the rest of his peers or people. Is that correct?"

Zorah stared at the century-and-a-half old Jaffa for a moment before nodding, "Master Bra'tac is correct. No one else knows why I requested to be here."

"Then why are you trying to get us involved in a something I'm guessing the other Admirals wouldn't like? I think I've made it pretty clear we don't want anything to do with the rest of the galaxy right now," Jack stated, his arms crossing back over his chest in frustration.

Zorah stood up and walked towards a nearby window. Other towers decorated the view outside the window, and between them the mainland could be seen. Swaths of green and brown covered the ground from forests and farmland that had been sown by former Pegasus citizens. Squadrons of Puddle Jumpers, 302's, and Gliders raced through the sky performing break-neck maneuvers. The sun was shining brightly down on the whole scene, and the Admiral couldn't help but smile a bit under his helmet. He turned around and walked back towards the men sitting down observing him in confusion.

"I have a daughter," he spoke softly as he settled back into his seat, "Her name is Tali. She left for her Pilgrimage the same time Rola and Jal did. I haven't heard from her in some time."

There was a pause, and Jack and Bra'tac could see even through the foggy helmet that something about this conversation was painful to the Admiral. The Quarian took a deep breath and relaxed into his seat more, trying to bring himself back from whatever thoughts were running through his head.

"Her mother died when she was very young. It was an infection from a damaged pipe that cut her suit open. By the time we got her to the medical ward…" the Admiral's voice waivered for a moment, "… We met while researching the Geth. Her passion for finding a way to defeat them and reclaim our homeworld was so strong. So inspiring. Before she joined the Ancestors, she made me promise to find a way... to find a way to build a home for our little one on the homeworld."

At last, the reason for the Admiral's wanting to find a way to fight the Geth was revealed. And the reason for his secrecy. If any of this other Admirals knew that he'd come here for such a personal reason, they'd likely reprimand him. Maybe even pull him from his research given how emotionally comprised he appeared to be.

Jack let out a breath and stared up at the ceiling. He understood what parents were willing to do for their children… he knew that all too well. And his old team… he'd made a lot of rash decisions over the years when it came to their safety. Still, he wasn't about to let the Admiral's issue become Atlantis's.

"I get it… really, I do," he stated sympathetically, the Admiral looking up in surprise, "Kids are… well, they're everything. We'd do anything for them."

"I wasn't aware you-"

"-I don't. Not anymore."

The Admiral stared at the General for a moment, then closed his eyes and nodded, "I understand… yes, I want to do whatever it takes to make this dream a reality for Tali. And the rest of my people. With your help we could finally take the fight to the Geth. Push them off Rannoch and reclaim our home."

Bra'tac shook his head, "Even if we had the technology or the forces to wage such a war, you must know that given our own… recent history, we would never willingly initiate it unprovoked."

Zorah nodded, "I know… I just… I wanted to gage what your reactions might be if someday we find a way to fight them. How willing you'd be in helping us."

"And if we had anything fancy toys that would give you an advantage," Jack pointed out, though with less hostility than before, "Look, we agreed to help defend your fleet if it comes under attack. Especially given that we've got some of our people there now too. But let me be perfectly clear: we are not and will not be helping you initiate a war on the Geth. Ever."

The Admiral nodded solemnly, obviously disappointed with the answer but accepting it, nonetheless. In fact, he was fairly certain that this was how the General was going to react. But he needed to know if there was any potential for their help. And despite the man's words, he still held hope that they would one day they would see the threat of the Geth.

"I understand. Thank you for hearing me out at least," Zorah replied with a nod.

Jack returned it, "And this will stay between the three of us," he assured the Admiral, whose eyes widened, "Figured you wouldn't want the others to know. So long as you or anyone else in the fleet tries to get us involved in this."

The Quarian was silent for a moment before giving another nod, "Thank you… now then, on to other matters. I believe you had matters you wished to discuss?"

Bra'tac nodded, "Yes, we had hoped that we could look at some of the planets that your people use for trading…"

---

Night had fallen on Atlantis and the sky shown with millions of stars and the moon of the planet. It was a sight to behold for many of the Earth born citizens who had never seen so many stars thanks to the light pollution that was so prevalent on their world. Even with the city lighting up the ocean and the nearby mainland, many couldn't help but be captured by its beauty and tranquilness. The sounds of people enjoying their evening in Merchant Row could be heard even from the top of the central tower. Laughing, music, and other leisure activities taking up the attention of most of the people of the city, even military personnel who were off duty were partaking in the celebration.

Tonight was the night that the senior staff was going to choose the drawing of the name for the planet. There had been several names that had made it to the final running. The last week or so everyone had entered a name that they thought the planet that was now their home should be called. It gave everyone a chance to participate and feel that they were contributing something. A group of civilians decided to throw a party to celebrate the naming of their new home which quickly ballooned into a city-wide event. It was the first time that something like it had happened since they had all come to Atlantis and for a night, everyone almost felt normal again.

Eli carefully made his way through crowds of people holding two metal jugs filled with beer. He tried to keep his hands steady as he swerved and dodged incoming traffic. People were dancing and laughing and not paying much attention to their surroundings, so he had to be really careful as he weaved around them. Eventually he came to a small clearing with dozens of tables. There were a few food stands cooking and giving out a mix of foods gathered grown on the mainland and traded from the Quarians. The smells and smoke coming from the grills filled Eli's nostrils and sent his stomach growling. As soon as he had a chance, he was coming right back to the one making sandwiches. He looked around, scanning the tables until he found the one he was looking for. He quickly walked over the crowded table and sat down next to an older man with long, unkept gray hair and scruffy beard.

He handed the beer in his right hand to the man as he took his seat, "Here ya go Rush. Sorry about that, the lines are crazy right now."

The man nodded and took a sip from the drink, "It's alright Eli," he looked around at the many hundreds of people all over Merchant Row, "I see everyone decided to stop working and come out tonight."

"Good thing we dragged you out too, otherwise you'd still be in that lab of yours," a young woman sitting across from him joked.

"Not completely his fault Chloe, McKay's been dumping new projects on him and Eli every other day," the brown-haired Airforce officer pointed out as he took a sip of his own beer, "Still, even Eli has managed to get out to the range a few days a week."

Eli nodded enthusiastically, "I just like being able to use those staff weapons! It's like real life Halo!"

The young officer shook his head, "Yeah, except in the real-world plasma bolts can kill you."

Eli shrugged, "Yeah, but it's not like I'm gonna be fighting anyone. That's why we have guys like you Matt."

In the first few months of becoming Dr Rush's assistant, or protégé depending on who was asked, Eli didn't really with anyone outside of the lab that they worked in. His mother was kept in the medical tower with other patients who had serious illnesses, so he spent most of his free time there. Until one day he knocked over a pretty, young woman named Chloe in the hall one day when he was too distracted by the equations he'd been given to solve when they were building the Alternate Reality Drive. He was smitten almost immediately; even back on Earth girls had never been his strong suite. Apparently, her dad was a Senator involved with the Stargate Program, sadly he had been in the Pentagon when the Ori blasted it from orbit. He couldn't imagine how he would have been if he'd made it to Atlantis, but his mother didn't. Even if she was still sick, at least she was safe and alive.

As he and Chloe began to hang out more, she introduced him to some other people she'd become friends with. Lieutenant Matthew Scott was a relatively new member of the SGC along with Lieutenant Vanessa James, who Eli had to work hard at not staring too long. Over the months others had joined their little group, and soon enough they started having weekend football games and fishing trips on the mainland. It was a whole new experience for Eli; having this many friends who weren't just voices over his headset. But these people had become the best friends he'd ever had: Chloe was like a sister now, Matthew was the older brother he never had, and even Dr Rush had become something of a mentor and father figure to him, gruff as he was.

"I don't much see the point in all this," Rush complained as he gestured to the party going on around them, "Naming the planet doesn't make much of a difference in our situation here. Everyone's time would be better spent researching the Ancient archives for anything that might help us."

"Dude, that archive is like a million years old. Even if you spent every minute of every day looking at it for the rest of your life, you'd never even put a dent in it," Matthew pointed out, "You gotta learn to live a little, Rush. Maybe go to the driving range Colonel Sheppard set up… you know, since your Scottish."

Rush scoffed and shook his head, "I'm not here to play games, Lieutenant. We have a responsibility to prepare ourselves as much as possible for dealing with this new galaxy. I'd rather spend my time learning anything and everything I can towards that end."

Everyone shook their head at that. Ever since arriving in Atlantis the doctor had acted like a man possessed, delving into the city's database as he researched anything and everything he could. His thirst for Ancient knowledge seemed to outpace even Dr McKay, but Rush's interests seemed more focused. More… specific. After everyone had turned in for the night, he would retreat to the Ancient Hologram terminal and search the infinite archives for hours. Eli was really starting to worry about him… but knew enough not to say anything to the stubborn Scottish doctor. Anytime the young man questioned his mentor, he found himself with hours of extra work piled onto his already heaping plate.

Still, despite the man's stubbornness and general unfriendliness, Rush almost always made his way to Eli and his friends' circle for breakfast lunch and dinner. Even over joining his peers, though Eli suspected that was probably something they were grateful for. Eli didn't mind Rush's… unique personality, most of the time anyway. But he could see why the other scientists preferred to keep away when they weren't in the lab.

At least Rush didn't yell like McKay did.

"Eli! Hey!" a voice called out to the prodigy's left.

Turning, he looked over and saw Eleni walking towards there table, a huge smile plastered across her face. The girl, who many had called Dr Jackson's protégé, became instant friends with their group despite the slight age gap. Eli instantly felt a connection with her, as he himself was being groomed to be a part of the next generation of people who many believed would take over lead positions in the Stargate Program someday.

Eleni was dragging to Quarians in each hand as they struggled to keep up with the fiery redhead. He instantly recognized Rola and Jal, having spent more than his fair share of time the last few weeks getting to know them. When he learned that they'd be having aliens, real, non-human aliens, living on Atlantis he freaked out a bit and couldn't wait to meet them. To his pleasant surprise Rola and Jal weren't too much younger than he was. Well, about a decade, but he was excited nonetheless. The pair didn't have a whole lot of interaction with any humans outside of the command staff, and himself and Eleni of course. He was looking forward to introducing them to his friends sitting at the table.

Eli stood up and walked over to the trio, "Hey guys! Glad you made it! We we're starting to run out of room," he motioned to the other tables that were completely filled.

Eleni nodded as she wiped a bit of sweat off her forehead, "I know! We ran down here as fast as we could, but I think everyone in the city is out here tonight!"

"Well, it's the first night we've had like this, so I'm not surprised," Chloe agreed as she stood up and walked over to introduce herself, "Hi! I'm Chloe, you must be Eleni!"

The archeologist-in-training nodded and stuck her hand out, "And you must be Chloe Armstrong! Eli's told me so much about you!"

Chloe raised her eyebrows at that and turned her head towards the shaggy haired man to her left, "Really? And what has he said about me?" she asked with a mirthful smile.

Eli instantly felt his face heat up and some sweat build on his forehead, "Only good things about what you and Mr. Woolsey have been doing. I swear!"

The pair of ladies let out a chuckle, which was quickly joined by everyone else at the table. Eli only blushed harder and he found himself rubbing the back of his neck, looking anywhere else but his friends. Only Rush didn't join in, but Eli was pretty sure he'd never even seen the man smile so that wasn't surprising.

Thinking quickly, Eli jumped over to where Rola and Jal were standing, startling them slightly with how fast he moved, "Hey everyone, this Rola and Jal! They're the first Quarians we made contact with when we jumped into this universe," he stated rather boldly.

So boldly that in his in his rush to change the subject he didn't realize how loud he was being, and soon other tables near them began to turn their heads in his direction to stare at the Quarians in question. Eli sheepishly looked to his two suited friends; Jal was visibly shrinking under all the stares and Rola's eyes narrowed as she looked at Eli. Chloe shook her head and turned to motion Matt and the rest of the people at their table to start introducing themselves. Everyone stood up and moved to shake the Quarians' hands. Smiles and nods of welcome were thrown around as the rest of the partiers at tables around them began to go back to their own celebrations.

Eli wiped the bit of sweat that was building on his head away, thankful that things didn't turn awkward for his alien friends. He was about to sit back down when he noticed that one of their party members wasn't getting up to greet Jal and Rola. Frowning, Eli motioned his hand towards the older man and raised his voice.

"And this is Dr Nicholas Rush. Rush, this is Rola and Jal," he motioned back to the pair, sending a pointed look at his mentor to get up and say hi.

Jal took the initiative and moved closer to Eli and the scientist, "It's a pleasure to meet you Dr Rush. Eli has told us a lot about you," and offered his three fingered hand.

Rush swallowed a mouthful of beer and sighed, standing up and looking down at the gloved hand before offering a bored expression to the young Quarian, "Yes, very nice to meet you... Eli, I forgot to log something in my computer today, I'm heading back to the lab. Be sure to stop by before you go to sleep tonight," he looked down at his mug before briefly raising it in a half-hearted cheer before making his way through the crowds towards the nearest tower.

Jal stared at the man as he walked away, slowly dropping his hand in disappointment, "Was it something I said?"

Eli sighed and shook his head, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder, "Don't worry about it man. Rush isn't exactly a people person."

"He's not exactly a person," Matt mumbled, noticing the looks he was getting he shrugged, "The guy's basically a robot. No emotions, never stops working," he pointed explained, then a smirk formed on his face, "Maybe you guys should try talking to him more, Quarians are robotic experts, right?"

Eli and Chloe blanched at the Lieutenant's lack of tact, knowing just how sensitive a topic the mechanical monsters were to their new allies. But to their surprise, Rola let out a small chuckle as she took Dr Rush's seat for herself.

"I've never tried talking to a Geth, most of our training on them involves the best ways to disable, hack, and blow them up," she stated with a shrug and a hard stare, "I don't think your General O'Neill would look very favorably on me if I engaged with Dr Rush in that fashion."

Matt blinked for a moment at the veiled threat, then shook his head and let out an airy laugh. Everyone else followed suite and took their seats again. Chloe and Matt made room for Jal and Eleni to next to them, while Eli sat back in his seat next to Rola. Everyone started to get sucked into their own private conversations; Jal and Matt began to discuss the differences between their marines and what joint missions might look like, Chloe and Eleni were getting to know each other and talk about what future diplomatic trips to other worlds would be like, while Eli and Rola simply sat quietly listening to everyone else.

Eli looked over at her nervously, not really sure of what to talk about, "Sooooo, Eleni told me you've been going to Dr Jackson's classes. How's that going?"

Rola sighed and rested her hands on the table, "Is there anything else we can talk about? Eleni will not leave me alone before, during, and after class…"

"Oh, right, yeah she's… enthusiastic to say the least," Eli rubbed the back of his head as he eyed the red-head sitting across from him, "Well… what do you think of all this? I'm guessing it took some convincing to get you to come out tonight."

Rola turned to gaze at the tables and crowds around them. Nearby she saw a family sitting around a table, smiles broad on their faces. A boy was sitting on what she assumed was his mother's lap, a colorful cone resting on his auburn head. In the center of the table was some kind of circular, ivory colored, flat cylinder with a single stick and a flame at the end. Everyone around the table was singing and cheering, for the child she guessed, and soon the boy blew out the candle, resulting in more cheers. Cheers from behind Rola drew her attention, and she saw a group of humans and Jaffa finishing off what looked like a rather large barrel of alcohol, each of them clinking their mugs together before chugging down their contents as fast as they could.

The Quarian turned back to her shaggy-haired companion and shrugged, "It's not something we're used to doing. We rarely have anything to celebrate on the Flotilla. The closest thing we have to this would be when we acquire new ships. Even then, only small celebrations are held on the ship itself by the new crew," she glanced back at the group of drinkers who were now laughing at a man who was coughing up what he had just drank, "A fleet wide celebration though… we've never had such a thing."

Eli nodded as he glanced around, "Well, we haven't had a whole lot to celebrate until recently. Plus, you only get to name a planet once, right?"

"That is true I suppose. The finding of a garden world like this… it's a rare thing in the galaxy. Most have been claimed by the Council Races," she replied, letting her gaze drift towards the mainland that rested just a few miles away from the city, the lights from the Athosian farms and villages shining in the darkness, "I will say I'm happy to see that General O'Neill and Dr Weir decided to let everyone participate in the naming. In the Flotilla, every Quarian has the opportunity to have their voice heard through their ship's captain."

"Nice to hear that we've got a few things in common," he smiled," I hope mine gets picked. I spent a lot of time thinking about it!" Eli exclaimed.

Chloe rolled her eyes at her friend, having heard the tail-end of their conversation, "Let me guess. You chose Alderaan."

"Or Vulcan!" Matt added with a laugh, and everyone else joined in.

Eli's face turned red, and he dived into his mug of beer to try and avoid eye contact with anyone. Rola smiled behind her faceplate at the young man's embarrassment. One thing that she could appreciate from these humans was their sense of humor. It took some getting used to, however, as most of the people in the Flotilla kept a professional air in most situations.

Eli gulped down his drink and wiped his mouth, "I actually chose something in Ancient for the planet's name. I'm not that big of a nerd," he explained, until he noticed the incredulous looks of his human friends, "Well, not big enough of one to name a planet after my favorite sci-fi."

"Hey! What's wrong with Vulcan as our new name?" another voice spoke, drawing everyone's attention.

A pair of men, one carrying a mug in each hand, stood at the head of the table. The shorter man on the left had light, tan hair and brown eyes, and was clean shaven. He wore green Airforce BDU's and had two silver bars on his lapel signifying his rank of Captain. The taller, muscular man next to him was a Jaffa, with short, buzzed black hair, dark skin, and the black tattoo of Apophis on his forehead. He wore simple animal leather pants and tunic over his broad body.

Matthew, along with a few other Airmen and Marines at the table, stood up and saluted, "Sir, we weren't expecting you down here. I figured you'd be with the General."

The man returned their salute and scoffed at Matt's remark, "Please, that old man has no idea how to have fun anymore. Honestly, none of the old gang really does anymore. They're all way too serious for my liking," he replied, setting his mugs down before grabbing a seat and putting his feet up on the table, "Why do you think I'm hanging out with you youngins'."

Jal tilted his head in confusion at the young officer, "What do you mean? You look to be about the same age as everyone else here."

The Captain looked over at the alien who'd spoken up, "And you are…"

Eli jumped up from his seat and pointed to his Quarian friends, "That's Jal'Fimas vas Maekra and this is Rola'Jaram vas Nuvo. Jal, Rola, this is Captain O'Neill, and the big guy next to him is Rya'c."

Rola looked the Captain up and down before settling back on his face, "I wasn't aware the General had a son. You're virtually identical, give or take a few decades."

The man waved her off, "Please, call me Jon. And I'm not the old man's son, I'm him. But new and improved," he remarked and took a big swig of his beer, grimacing as he swallowed, "Man, first trip out we're getting real beer. I don't think I can drink much more of this."

"You are assuming that this galaxy has beer as a beverage of choice," Rya'c pointed out as he stood behind the Captain, comfortable to stand rather than find a chair at the increasingly crowded table.

"…Damn, I really hope those other humans aren't a bunch of sober sticks in the mud."

Rola stared at the officer in confusion, before turning to Matt for clarification. He simply shook his head at his superior officer's antics and motioned for the man to explain his… unique background to their Quarian friends. Jon, seeing the Lieutenant's expression, wiped his mouth and set down his mug before leaning further back in his chair.

"Sorry, I'm guessing they haven't told you about me?" he asked the pair who shook their heads in response, "Welp, the long and short of it is that I'm the General's clone."

Jal's glowing eyes widened as he looked at the human to his right, "Clone?! You mean you have a viable cloning program? Clones that are capable of consciousness and reasoning?"

"Why would the General want to clone himself?" Rola asked, equally as shocked.

Jon sighed and grabbed his mug again, "The old man didn't exactly have a choice," he explained, taking a swig, "Nah, a rogue Ass-gard kidnapped the General a few years ago to study him. He made me so that no one would notice the General missing."

Jal hummed in thought, "I've read about the Asgard. To think such an advanced race existed! Even more advanced than the Protheans!" he exclaimed, his interest in more alien species driving his questions, "I understand that they used cloning to extend their lifespans over thousands of years, even longer than Asari! I wonder what their exact methods for transferring their-"

"-Wait. If this Asgard wanted you to fool everyone into thinking you were the General, why did it make you younger. A few years ago, you would have been an adolescent and the General would still have been… uh, well, older," Rola asked in confusion.

Jon let out a loud laugh, "Trust me, even a few years ago the old man was old! But to answer your very personal question, the General's got some kinda genetic doohickey going on. When he got cloned, I only made it to the MTV generation."

Rola frowned under her helmet before turning to Eli. He scratched his head and tried to interpret the man's words.

"Uh, he means that because of whatever genetic issue General O'Neill has made it so that Jon here only matured to a biological age of about fifteen. Which is why he's our age instead of… however old the General is," he clarified.

Rola nodded at his explanation, seeming to accept it, "So, you decided to go into the same line of work that your donor was in?"

"Well, I still have all my memories… well, his memories. Since this is what I'm good at I figured why not join the Program again. With all the experience rattling around up here," he pointed to his head, "And my youthful good looks, I figured I'd be running SG-1 in a year."

Rya'c tilted his head and smirked, "I believe it's been over three years since you joined the SGC, O'Neill. It has only been since we've arrived on Atlantis that you've been given command over your own team."

Everyone chuckled as the Captain turned to glare up at his Jaffa friend.

Rola glanced up at the Jaffa, "Rya'c was it? I'm Rola, and this is Jal… well, you already knew that. Since Eli just introduced us…" she mentally grimaced at the awkward introduction.

Rya'c bowed towards her, surprising the Quarian with such a formal greeting, "The honor is mine, Rola of Nuvo. And you as well Jal of Maekra. I am Rya'c of Chulak, son of Teal'c."

Jal and Rola straightened up at that. They knew who Teal'c was. The Jaffa had been a key factor in helping convince the Quarians of the validity of Tretonin and how it could one day free them from the confines of their suits. Not only that, but the man was also a key member of Atlantis's command staff, on a similar level to the Admiralty. To have his son, as well as this Captain O'Neill, at their table made the pair a bit nervous about making sure they were on their best behavior.

"I have not had the opportunity to interact with your people aside from your marines during our training missions. I am pleased to say that in the short time I have come to knew them, they have proven themselves capable warriors. I would be honored to go into battle with them and any of your people," the young Jaffa eloquently spoke.

Jal stared at him for a moment, unsure how to respond, before nodding in thanks, "We… uh, appreciate your kind words. Coming from a race as martial as yours that's high praise."

Jon slapped the air between them, "Alright, enough with all this formality and questions. I thought we were out here to blow off some steam!"

The table broke back into individual conversations. Jon and Rya'c started talking with Matthew about some of the week's training missions they'd taken part in, while the Quarians jumped from subject to subject with Eli, Chloe, and Eleni. The night continued on as the last rays of sunlight vanished, leaving only the bright lights of the city and the stars to illuminate the celebrations. Music from the band on a makeshift stage drowned out much of the conversations and drew crowds of people who were holding hands, dancing, swaying, and enjoying the sounds of the guitars and drums. Even a few Jaffa and the occasional Quarian could be seen throughout, swaying or bobbing their heads to the rhythm.

As the night went on, more rounds of drinks were being brought to the table, and everyone began to get a buzz going. Even Rola and Jal were beginning to feel something, having brought their own triple-filtered alcohol. Eli was walking back to the table with another beer when he almost tripped over his own feet and stumbled back into the seat, leaning heavily against Rola who braced his fall. Everyone let out a good laugh, especially Eli and Rola who were both too caught up in the moment and the booze to feel embarrassed.

Eli steadied himself and tried to contain his laughter, "Shorry about that! I think therrrs a cord or shomthing over ther."

"I think its just you my friend, I don't even know how you humans don't fall over more often with how your legs are," she joked and wrapped an arm around his neck, "Seriously! Other than Turians and Krogan and Salarians, I don't know how the other bipedal races run around!"

Jon scoffed and swigged his beer, "Our legs are weird? Have you looked in the mirror?!" he was leaning back to back with Rya'c, using the larger man to keep himself upright, "Besides, Eli here is just a light weight."

Rya'c raised an eyebrow, "I believe Eli is actually on the larger side. For a human."

Eli rubbed the back his neck with his free arm, the other being trapped between himself and Rola's side, "Uhh, I mean… I feel like I'vvve lost shhome weight shhince I got here…"

Eleni stuck a hand to Rya'c's face, "Ignore him! You look great Eli! Women like a man with some bulk."

"Really?!"

Rola seemed to agree, "In Quarian society, larger males are rare. Our species has always been of a thinner build. I know many a young Quarian girl who secretly admired male humans for their size."

The table went silent at that. An awkward silence followed, interrupted only by the noises of the music and people around them. Chloe stared at Rola with wide eyes, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks. Even Jal stared at his best friend with surprise and shock at what she had just let slip out of her mouth.

Rola noticed the stares and tilted her head, "What?" Is there something on-" then she realized what she had just said and instantly detached herself from Eli, "I-I mean- I don't- what I mean was-"

Another chorus of laughs erupted from the table, and this time both Rola and Eli dove into their respective drinks in embarrassment. Rola turned to Eli and was about to explain, before simply shaking her head and laughing as well. Eli followed and the two resumed enjoying the night they were all sharing Everyone felt happier than they had in a long time. Everyone out on Merchant Row: the humans of both the Milky Way and Pegasus, the Jaffa, and even the Quarian contingent were finding themselves feeling freer and more joyful than they had in a long time.

All of a sudden, the music faded out and a voice came on over the speakers, "Good evening, everyone!"

Everyone turned and looked over at the stage and saw Dr Weir standing in front of the microphone with Daniel Jackson and Colonel Sheppard flanking her. The band had taken a break and walked off the stage, and some relaxing, instrumental music was playing in the background in the meantime. Everyone knew that this meant they were about to announce the name of the planet, so the noise quickly quieted down as everyone watched in anticipation.

Elizabeth smiled as she stared out at the crowds in front of her, "Wow… seeing every one of your faces out here tonight… in the years I've spent living in this incredible city, I never thought I'd see something like it. It's… it's…"

She stopped herself and wiped away a few tears. But her smile never left her face. Sheppard stepped forward and laid a hand on her shoulder, which she gripped tightly and turned to offer him a thankful smile for his support. Swallowing, she looked back up at the crowd.

"We've been through a lot this last year. You don't need me to say anything more about it; we all know what we've had to deal with. We've had to fight, and struggle, and persevere through more than anything I ever thought we would have to. But we did. And now, finally, we're safe. And thriving," she stated proudly before motioning for some Airmen to bring over a bowl filled with white pieces of paper.

Daniel stepped forward and spoke, "So, as everyone here is aware, to celebrate our arrival on our new home, we're drawing from the finalists for the name of our planet. Everyone's had a chance to enter a name, and then those names were voted on until we came up with the names in this bowl. Naming a planet is no small thing, even in our own universe. Especially when you're not going off an alphabetical-numerical system like the one the SGC uses. Believe me, trying to keep track of whether you traveled to P4X-293 or P2Y-842 is a lot harder than it sounds," he joked and got a fair number of chuckles out of the crowd.

"Naming this planet shows that we're not just trying to survive in this new universe, but that we're committed to being here for the long haul. That, when the time is right, we're here to live alongside these new races we find ourselves being neighbors with," Sheppard nodded to some of the Quarians in the crowd, "And eventually, maybe we'll be able to meet the humans in this reality. Maybe, someday, even visit their Earth."

The Colonel's words hit home with many of the Taur'i. Ever since they'd arrived in this new reality, and discovered that there was an alternate version of their home here, many wanted to be able to travel there. Even with the added complication of being one hundred and fifty years in the future, they wanted to see the home that was taken from them. Perhaps even see if their families' descendants were still alive and living there. Of course, this was idea was shut down by the senior staff given the fact that even when they ventured out into the galaxy, it would take a long time before they were able to convince the Systems Alliance to allow any of the citizens of Atlantis to visit their homeworld. If ever.

"Regardless of what happens out there, this is our new home. And to that end, I would like to finally announce the new name of our planet!" Wier exclaimed, and almost deafening cheers followed.

Couples grabbed hands, families muttered in excitement, and others held their breath over the new name would be. Eli crossed his fingers and closed his eyes, hoping that his choice would get picked.

The Airmen walked over and presented the bowl to her. She nodded in thanks, lifted a hand over her eyes and reached her hand inside. She moved her hand around for a few moments, mixing the pieces around so that she could truly choose at random. After another moment she gripped one tightly before pulling her hand out, and everyone watched in trepidation. She opened her eyes and unfolded the paper in her hands. She looked down, reading the name written on the paper and smiled as she saw it.

She stepped closer to the mic and held her head high, "And the name we chose… the name that is going to be the start of our new future together… the name of our new home is… Novus!"