The Wraith the humans called Todd stepped through the gate, and nodded in satisfaction. He breathed in the cool night air, and felt his muscles relax for the first time in months. Free, he was finally free. Not that his confinement had been overly odious. In fact, the humans on John Sheppard's homeworld were quite generous, even surprisingly pragmatic about his dietary needs. Their supply of condemned prisoners had kept him more than sated during his time on Earth. And with his official status as ally to the humans, his freedom had been assured. He looked up at the stars overhead, drinking in their pure beauty. There were not so many stars on earth; the teeming masses has blotted them out with their unending lights. For all the privileges granted to him as one of the unofficial saviors of humanity, he had no desire to visit that planet again. Let the humans have their spoiled rock. Give me endless fields of starlight.

Todd made his way through the dense forest, brushing away the bushes and grasping tree branches absently. The dark shadow looming ahead would be the place he was searching for. He threw his head back and laughed, drunk on the number of potential futures ahead of him. Freedom, he had now, and soon a scout ship, and a wealth of information. Some he would use to regain his position among his people. Some, for more personal goals.

A soft chittering ahead alerted him to the location he was searching for. Iratus bugs littered the ground in front of the wide cave mouth, hissing softly as he glided past. Had it been less than a year since he had last visited this place? Less than a year since he was forced to undergo the agony of allowing a queen iratus to feed upon him in order to cure the disease the Atlanteans infected him with, during their foolish experiments? Ah, the more fool he, for allowing it in the first place!

Still, not all the Atlanteans were so bad. For all the tension between them, John Sheppard understood him better than anyone, and Todd could almost think of him as a friend. One he would likely be forced to kill someday, but he would make sure Sheppard's name and deeds were remembered throughout the ages. The tall warrior, Ronon, was another who had impressed Todd, though he'd rather starve than ever admit it. And Dr. McKay- Well, one day Todd was going to eat him, and that was that. The dark-haired female, though, Amelia, was an unusual specimen. A human with a sense of humor. He patted the pocket containing the chocolate bars she had given him. Hmm, not suitable as a worshipper, but valuable nonetheless, in her own way.

Todd followed the cave to a large chamber, and held his arms out happily. There, beyond his iratus bug guards, was his scout ship, hidden away for centuries. Todd always believed in planning ahead. He ran his hands over the organic hull, and hummed cheerfully.

"Now," he purred. "Let's see if you still fly."

oooOOOooo

"Are you sure we did the right thing?" Ronon asked, staring at the now quiet gate. Sheppard shrugged uncomfortably.

"It's not like we had much choice about it," he replied. "The IOA gave the orders, so we had to let him go."

"I still don't like it."

"What you don't like is the way he looked at your girlfriend," Sheppard pointed out. It was Ronon's turn to squirm.

"Amelia's not really my girlfriend," he mumbled. "She's not really anything."

Sheppard looked up at his friend in surprise. "I thought there was something going on between you two," he said.

"Yeah, well, kinda. I don't know. Maybe." Ronon looked around the gateroom, desperate for a distraction. "How about we spar for a while?"

"I take it that means you're done talking?" Sheppard said, suppressing a smile.

"Great. Double sticks this time." Ronon walked quickly toward the transporter, followed by an amused Sheppard, but the sound of the gate powering up stopped them.

"Unscheduled off world activation," Chuck called out. "receiving Halling's IDC."

"Lower the iris," Sheppard ordered. He touched his ear piece. "Teyla, I know Torren's a little under the weather, but I need you in the gate room, now."

Several Athosians stepped through the gate, followed by Halling, who carried a crumpled figure in his arms.

"We need medical assistance in the gate room," Sheppard shouted, running down the stairs to meet the Athosians. Halling shook his head sadly.

"I am afraid it is too late for that," he said gently. "She is dead."

"What happened?" Ronon asked. Halling's son, Jinto, who had just completed his manhood trials one moon before, blinked away tears.

"Dr. Keller was late," he said. "So we went to the ring to contact you. We found this one on the ground in front of it."

Halling brushed the woman's tangled hair away from her face, exposing the small hole in her forehead.

"Oh damn," Sheppard cursed. "That's Kelly Davies. She was the nurse who was supposed to go to the settlement with Jennifer and Amelia."

"Where are they?" Ronon demanded, his face suddenly in Halling's. "Where are Amelia and Jennifer?"

Halling touched his head to Ronon's, and Ronon closed his eyes, breathing harshly.

"I do not know, my friend," he said softly. "There was no one else around. But tracks show over a dozen others, wearing military style boots. If Amelia and Dr. Keller were with this woman, they were likely taken by whoever made those tracks."

Ronon turned to Sheppard. "We go now," he growled.

"You heard the man," Sheppard called out. "I want Lorne's team with us. Armor up. We leave in five minutes."