Rodney hadn't known what to expect when he met Eve's 'sisters', as she called them. He felt extremely self-conscious when she made him walk into the hall at her side. The walls there gave more light then he'd ever seen them do before. Tear-shaped cocoons hung from the ceiling. As he took a better look, he saw they were actually seats for eight Wraith queens. His heart skipped a beat as he took in their blue-tinged skin, long claw-like fingers and slightly glowing eyes. If the bracelet on his wrist wasn't hotwired to his nervous system making him walk, he was sure he would have been frozen still before his second step into the room.

"Greetings, Queens of the Great Allegiance," Eve said to them.

Rodney was stunned to realize that she was speaking in Wraith, and that he could understand what she said. The bracelet was feeling hot again, and Rodney was sure it was doing something else to him.

One of the Queens made a swirling gesture with her hand before rising to her feet. She was tall and boney and her arms seemed too long. She wore teal colored trousers made of a very light material, and a silver-embroidered tunic. Her hair was black and thick, falling down to her knees like a curtain. Her cheekbones looked very prominent, giving her the look of somebody who has been starved. Rodney wandered briefly if that was the case. Her blood-red eyes settled on him only for a few seconds, and then moved to look at the winged creature at Eve's other side.

"You are full of surprises, Queen of the Mekrane," she said. The Wraith Queen gestured at the huge, winged alien. "Is he your First Mate, the One Who Brings the Light?"

"I am," spoke the creature, taking a step forward.

"I am pleased to meet my Forbearer," the queen said. She gave a courtly nod of her head. "I am Ereskigal."

The creature's lips contorted and curled back in what Rodney decided must have been its version of a smile. And then the black-haired Wraith took another few steps closer and touched Rodney's chest, and Rodney held his breath. He felt the slit in her hand opening and closing over his skin before the spikes pierced it. He thought he would jump out of his skin at the sudden pain. Instead, he clenched his jaw and looked straight into those red eyes.

She was so close he could see her irises were enclosed in dark brown circles. He felt blood trickle down his abdomen as she took her hand away. He followed the red gaze until it rested on Eve, who looked pleased.

As Ereskigal retook her seat, the queen sitting to her right stood and came to Rodney. He felt the bottom of his stomach falling out. He wanted to speak, scream, run... but he was paralyzed, the bracelet made his every muscle turn to heavy stone and he felt captive in his own body. The only things giving away his state of mind to the outside viewer was his fast breathing and the dilatation of his pupils.

The second queen reached out and placed her hand over the wound Ereskigal had left. Her spikes bore into the exact same places and Rodney braced himself against the new wave of pain. He wished he could at least close his eyes so as not see them. When the third queen-the one on Ereskigal's left this time—approached, it became clear to him that they were all going to taste him. He felt sick.

"I am Kali," The next queen spoke as her hand settled on his chest.

what the fuck makes you think I care? he wanted to shout, but his lips were sealed.

By the time the last queen raised her palm from his chest he felt like a used rag doll. His skin tingled with pain and itched with dried blood. He was sure he was shaking and wondered what he would look like. How old would he look? He felt the same. At least he thought he felt the same.

The bracelet turned cold and he sunk to the floor with a loud thud. He just sat there, breathing. When he looked up again he saw that Eve and her mate had found seats and had taken them.

"Do I have your trust?" Eve's voice broke the silence.

"I sensed the strength you spoke about. He is very valuable, if he can open the Ring toward new grounds," said the queen Ereskigal, affixing her bloody stare on Rodney again.

"He will. The Ring will be opened before the Twin Stars show themselves again."

"Then we stand behind you, Lilith."

Every queen came to rest at Lilith's feet. Each cut a strand of their hair and braided it with her magenta curls.

***

"Enticing as the promise of coffee is, I don't have time to go with you, Major." The anthropologist smiled briefly and went back to her parchments and books.

"Ah, I need your help," Sheppard admitted with a sheepish grin, nervously rubbing the back of his head. She looked up again. "I have to find McKay. I have to get him back."

Hanozeri looked unfazed, as if John had just stated the sky was blue. "Do you think you could maybe find a way to point me in the right direction?" he elaborated, hoping that she had just misunderstood him. "I'm looking for Eve's home planet."

"It is rather amusing you would call her Eve," Hanozeri said, "since she is the one who inspired the character of Lilith, Eve's rival and...Eve is actually a word and it means life."

"Fine, I'll call her Lily, is that ok?" the major asked, straining to control his temper.

"To answer your question, I can pinpoint an area where the solar system you're looking for can be found, but, I'm coming with you. And if we succeed I get appointed to an off-world team," Hanozeri stated flatly.

Sheppard rolled his eyes.

"Fine," He spat after a few seconds of uncomfortable silence.

"Give me a couple of hours," the anthropologist said, turning away to rummage in a box behind her. "Ah, and Major? Tell Dr. Zelenka to join me here-I could use a hand getting through his security protocols."

Sheppard felt completely useless once he got the Czech scientist on board. Dr. Hanozeri was translating what sounded like shitty Ancient poetry and Zelenka was actually taking notes. Rodney would have never let himself be sucked into such crap. But Rodney wasn't there. They seemed to know what they were looking for and what they were doing, so John sat on his hands and fought the urge to tap a foot.

Hours passed by before he left for the gym, unable to wait anymore.

"I'm gonna go punch something. If you guys find anything remotely useful, let me know ASAP," he said to the pair, who only muttered something under their breath and didn't even look up at him. John broke into a run halfway to the gym and found he couldn't stop. He turned a corner and kept running.

***

Rodney kept fighting his own legs as they took him up to a platform and into an oversized dart. He hated his body being manipulated by something other than his own will. The chilly night air raised goose bumps all over his skin and made his shiver.

The flight to the planet was short and uneventful and Rodney was sure he had dozed off from pure exhaustion. The queen who called herself Kali woke him as the ship they were in was landing. Eve had not addressed him directly since he's been introduced to the other queens. Rodney didn't know whether to be glad of that, or frightened. He had no idea how many times she could pass him around the table, so to speak, like a glass of communion wine before he crumpled up and died. Would she do it again? He hated not being able to move of his own accord and just provoke one of the monsters present into killing him.

He was led up to the Stargate, where the DHD was already opened and the ZPM placed next to it, with additional crystals laying around it. When he looked around, Rodney's breath caught heavily in his chest. Thousands and thousands of darts were on the ground or hovering in the dark air. Wraith as far as his eyes could see. Then hysterical laughter overtook him and even if his body would not let it escape his lips, on the inside he was bubbling with it.

What else could he do? There he was, in his Adam's suit-no pun intended-alone and surrounded by countless Wraith, unable to run or defend himself in any way, and none of them would come over and put him out of his misery. He began shaking with the strain of his muscles fighting the impalpable restraints.

"Tell me how to open the Ring to new feeding grounds!" snarled the winged male Wraith, using his body to force Rodney closer to the DHD.

Rodney looked at him in silence.

"Speak!"

The bracelet grew hotter and hotter until Rodney couldn't bear it any longer. The first sound that escaped his throat was a scream. His legs gave out as soon as the bracelet cooled and he went down like a sack of potatoes, his breathing ragged.

"Fuck you!" it was nothing more than a whisper, but he was determined not to give any other answer, no matter what the question would be. The beast was barefoot, and Rodney could see powerful talons curling from his long toes. His feet looked more like those of a bird then those of a human, Rodney thought.

He was again grabbed by the back of his neck and hoisted to his feet, only to be pushed closer to the pile of crystals.

"You may have a powerful mind, human, but you are no match for me."

"Yeah, yeah, I know the villain speech by heart already, so don't waist your breath on my account," Rodney managed to say more loudly, dismissing the creature with a flap of his hand.

"She asked me to not hurt you, but you leave me no choice."

"Been there, done that. Torture doesn't work on me," Rodney said bravely, finally managing to stand and lock his knees together. There was a smirk on the creature's face when he looked up.

A large, clawed hand closed over his and the sickening sound of his bones being crushed filled Rodney's ears, mixed with his own screams. Lucifer only blinked at him and twisted his arm, breaking bones. Rodney's struggling only made matters worse. When he was released, his arm hung limply at his side and the throbbing pain made his eyes water. For the thousandth time he wished he was dead.

Rodney turned around and started running in a random direction, hoping a hungry Wraith would stop him. Instead it was the bracelet engaging that froze him in his tracks and he just fell over, his nose hitting the ground hard. He could taste his own blood now and he was certain there were teeth missing. He shuddered.

Lucifer picked him up and seated him with his back against the DHD.

"You wish to protect those of your kind. That is why you resist us so."

Rodney narrowed his eyes. Understanding didn't dawn on him until six people were marched in front of him. Their hands and legs were bound with some sort of rope. They were also naked and already supported multiple bruises.

"Rodney! Please give them what they want! Rodney, please! Don't let them feed on us!" screeched a woman in terror, and Rodney abruptly realized she was Elizabeth Weir.

"Yeah, buddy. Just let's get out of this mess alive and we'll figure something out later, okay? You know we can find a way..." a very battered-looking John Sheppard chimed in.

No! No, no, no, no! This... this... Rodney was distracted by the pain that still seared through his broken arm. He couldn't think. But it was impossible, wasn't it? Even if they had mounted some rescue mission and failed, been captured...

"Will you tell me how to connect the power source to the Ring?" Lucifer demanded, "or do you want to see your friends die?"

"Oh, God, no! Please!" Rodney found his voice, and the words came poring out. He watched in horror as Lucifer moved around the group of people. There was John and Elizabeth, Ford and Teyla, Carson and some Marine he recognized but whose name he couldn't remember. He was going to watch him die, too-a man who had been captured attempting to save him, and Rodney didn't even know his name.

"You want him to die first?" Lucifer asked mockingly. Before Rodney could even attempt to think of an answer the Wraith's clawed hand closed over the Marine's throat, but did not squeeze. Instead he grabbed the man's jaw. Lucifer placed his other hand on the top of the Marine's head, and while still holding his jaw, he yanked his head sharply back.

The result was the sound of bone snapping, instantly followed by an agonized scream. Blood gushed down the sides of the Marine's face, his jaw now hanging limp. The sounds escaping him were wet and gurgling, like he was drowning.

Rodney's eyes snapped shut as he realized the man in front of him was drowning in his own blood. Rodney was horrorstruck. He had wanted the beast to kill the nameless Marine first-not that he wanted anyone to die, but since death was inevitable here, he knew he had unconsciously wished for more time for his friends. He was sickened at himself. He had wanted a man to die only to buy a few more seconds for his friends, but they were all going to be corpses by the end of the night. It didn't matter who died first.

Unless...unless I show Batty McBat over here how to get to the Milky Way, Rodney thought desperately. Then he swallowed, biting the inside of his lip. Yeah, right. And then they can all have a snack before leaving! You really think you would get out of here alive? That you could get any of your friends out of here alive? No. Of course you won't, He answered his own question.

It didn't matter if they survived or not, the only thing that mattered was keeping the Wraith in Pegasus. But Sheppard had said something... Did he have a plan? And if so, was he actually cocky enough to think they could somehow dig themselves out of this situation? And Elizabeth had begged Rodney to sacrifice Earth.

Now she was whimpering as the monster approached her. "Oh God, Rodney, please, please, don't let him do this!" she was sobbing between words, and when Lucifer's fingers tangled in her hair she screamed in horror.

Rodney found he couldn't look away, he couldn't turn his head or close his eyes anymore.

"Nh-nh-no...plh-plh-lease...uh...uh..." Elizabeth's frantic, incoherent pleas broke into screaming as the Wraith's fists came down, hard. She collapsed with the first hit, but Lucifer didn't stop-hitting and kicking her until she was silent. And by that time Rodney was swallowing bitter bile and blood.

"Tell us!" Lucifer shouted at him. "You shouldn't watch your friends maimed and killed like this! Tell us and you and your friends will have privileged places with us." He smiled a loathsome grin. "We know how to be grateful."

"You sick fuck! You-you-you sick fuck!" Rodney's screamed at the top of his lungs as he regained control of his vocal cords once more. "I'll never help you! Do you think I'd let you do that to other people too? You fuck!"

The Wraith just smiled silkily. "You want your... Sister to be safe, do you not?"

Rodney couldn't breathe. "How...?" He could barely force the word out his mouth. "What are you doing? How do you know about Jeannie?" His voice was thickened by panic, and his eyes flickered between the bloodied dead bodies lying on the ground.

Lucifer just kept smiling. "And this one," he said, stepping towards Sheppard. "Is he your friend?" The Wraith grabbed Sheppard's chin and tilted it upward presenting him to Rodney. His yellow eyes gleamed and Rodney bit his tongue.

He wouldn't break. He wouldn't betray Earth, all of the Milky way for Sheppard. Not even for Sheppard. This was going to happen anyway. There was nothing Rodney could do that would change it. Nothing.

The pain he felt went much, much deeper than mere broken teeth and bone.

"Rodney, buddy," Sheppard said. His chest was heaving, his eyes wide and glittering with terror. "Listen to me! You can stop this, just give them what they want! Show them what to do!"

Something shifted in Rodney's gut at the sound of the soldier's broken voice. That wasn't John. John would never tell him to give up, not ever.

It's not real! This is a fucking trick!

"This is a hallucination!" Rodney burst out, something like joy fluttering in his chest. "Ha! You fucking half-starved idiot of a nature's freak!" He laughed, a small, hysterical bubble of sound. "Oh, oh, I can't believe I fell for it!" he kept laughing, this time out loud and hard enough to choke on it. He doubled, over covering his face.

When he looked up again his teammates were gone. Instead, he saw four naked people with skin like Teyla's, trembling in terror where they stood. There was no dead Elizabeth and no mutilated, nameless Marine, just the corpses of two strangers.

Rodney's laughter turned to sobs and he couldn't manage to draw breath in between. His stomach did a somersault and then he was throwing up-bile and blood and broken bits of his front teeth.

His vision was blurred, he didn't even feel the bracelet heat up, feel himself stand and walk over to where the tall creature was, barely realized he was moving until he was suddenly looming over one of the shaking prisoners, his good arm rising over his head...

Rodney only came to his senses when his fist made contact with living flesh. He was hitting someone mercilessly, and it was...It was... It was Jeannie!

No, it couldn't be! Teyla had been standing there minutes ago, and Rodney knew it hadn't even been her, but some poor woman he'd never met before. But he was hitting Jeannie, unable to stop, and-oh, God!-she looked like his sister. It was Jeannie's nose that was bleeding, her cheekbone cracking open under his assault. And all the while the bracelet was burning his wrist.

Rodney followed her down. He kneeled on her chest, forcing the breath out of her lungs, and all the while he was screaming in his own head, mute and sick with the sound of his own cries. I'm not...I'm not... This isn't happening. This can't be happening. I'm...ohGodohGodohGod I'm killing her!

The bracelet did not cool until all four humans were dead.

When he could finally stop, Rodney sank to the ground shaking and crying, exhausted and in pain. He had tortured four people to death and their screams of agony still clung to his eardrums. He was painted in their blood, his good hand crimson and slick with it. He could smell their pain, in their blood, and shit, piss and death.

"Tell me how to make the Ring open!" Lucifer thundered. "I can make all of this go away-but open the Ring!"

The filled his head, the only thing left that he knew was real, aside from his own guilt and pain. All that was left binding him to the world

The Ring. The Stargate, he thought dully. Yeah. I can do that. I still can...

He couldn't speak. He pushed himself up on his good arm and stumbled over to the opened DHD. He smeared blood all over the crystals and the inner circuits.

Eve was at his side, sudden and silent, taking the crystals he picked up and placing them onto the slots his trembling finger pointed to.

As the last piece was secured into its place he looked into her eyes. They were green as shards of emerald, and glowing with glee.

***

Radek's fingers were still flying over the keyboard when Sheppard came back from his work-out. When he heard Dr. Hanozeri's voice over his com he'd rushed right to the Anthropology department. His soaked t-shirt clung to his skin and his hair, damp with sweat, was for once almost tamed.

"How soon are we leaving?" he asked between breaths.

"We were able to reconstitute an address for the planet Eve took him to, considering its position in the solar system and the galaxy and the logarithm the ancients used to catalogue their Stargates," Radek explained. "But we are only guessing. We have five most-likely addresses that we can try."

"And if those aren't what we are looking for?" Sheppard asked over the rapidly-forming knot in his throat.

Zelenka looked at the floor intently, and Hanozeri just shook her head.

"The three of us-me, Ford and Teyla-are leaving when the last guard shift ends. There is a window of twenty-four minutes when the Gate Room is empty," Sheppard said. "We'll need to use those. And yes, I will revise security protocols and guard shift time," he added in response to the look of Zelenka's face. "Meet you then."

"Well, we have a good half-hour before that happens," Radek said. "How about we get some food? It is dreadful to die on empty stomach."

"You're a real optimist, aren't you?" Hanozeri asked, curling her arm around the one Radek offered her.

***

They ate in nervous silence in the empty mess hall.

Teyla came to alert them that the window they were looking for had arrived.

Hearts thumping, they joined Ford and Sheppard in the Gate Room. Radek dialed the Gate, trying hard to keep his hands from shaking. If this half-witted plan succeeded he would take his first trip off-world-and to a Wraith-inhabited planet no less. Yet strangely enough, what made his hands shake was the thought of not being able to get McKay back.

The wormhole engaged on the fourth try with a whoosh of blue. No one said a word as they went through.

Freezing cold air greeted them on the other side. The planet was dark and there was no source of light other than the energy from the wormhole. They carefully made their way down the few steps that led from the gate, pointing the P-90's that Sheppard had snuck out of the armory for them into the dark.

The Stargate disengaged a few seconds later, leaving them to fend for themselves against the alien night. The flashlights on the P-90s did not help much.

"They weren't kidding when they called it dark moon, huh?" Ford tried for a joke and failed.

"This is planet, not a moon," Radek said. "There is no atmosphere on the moons of this planet."

"Major, I've found something!" Teyla sounded alarmed.

They all went to see what she was standing by.

"Is that-?"

"ZPM!" Zelenka interrupted Sheppard in mid question.

"What does that mean?" Ford asked nervously.

"It is drained of power," Radek said with growing alarm. "They used it to dial-"

"Earth!" It was Sheppard's turn to interrupt. "Fuck!" He kicked the now-useless shell of the energy module, disengaging it from the DHD.