Chapter 16: Truths Revealed and Progeny

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John looked his Lantean lover dead in the eye, and with a simple nod, he had sealed his fate as the commander of Atlantis' military personnel. Loros cursed his physiology for not allowing him the use of his empathic powers so he would be able to determine Lorne's reactions long before the Major makes them known.

"John and I are together…" Loros said after a pregnant pause.

"As in…?"

"Romantically involved" Loros confirmed.

"My team had their suspicions. They would observe the way you'd act…"

"You sound awfully calm Major…"

"You love who you love. It can't be helped and personally I never really cared much for the rules that prohibited people from being themselves. That and I'm not exactly the straightest person here either" Evan confessed and both of their eyes widened. "Your secret is perfectly safe with me, sir. As far as this conversation goes, I say 'what conversation?'" he smiled at the two of them and they smiled back, a little wider. "Now Colonel, if you don't mind my asking, when was I considered a loved one to you?"

"Actually John, I myself am rather curious as to the origins of that" Loros said, and despite John's fears that he'd be pissed for assuming somewhat correctly that he liked his XO in a more than professional way, he looked more amused and was that intrigue in his eyes?

"Uhh…well…" he sputtered and he actually blushed.

"The renowned 'Kirk of Atlantis' is actually blushing?" Lorne was astounded.

"You see…um…"

"Take a breath, sir. If it helps, take some time to find what you want to say exactly. I'm a patient person, being an artist and all, and Loros has a patience that can withstand McKay's constant babbling. It's no rush"

"Thanks, Lorne. I don't deal with emotions all that well" he said, a slight smile on his face.

"Anytime, sir. May I be honest?" he asked and they both nodded. "I've uh…grown quite…fond of you recently. Both of you…" and with a furious blush but a small smile, Lorne left the room. Now more than ever, Loros wished he had his empathic powers so he could glean at what that sentence actually meant.

"What does he mean 'grown fond of?' Lorne's never said something like that"

"I think he was trying to tell us that he…how do your kind put it? Likes us? As in a more than platonic way…"

"What? Both of us?"

"You like him too…in that way…" Loros noted with a smile.

"You're not mad?" John asked, sounding a little meek in the process and Loros' smile became all the more warmer and gentle. That same ethereal smile on his face that had become his trademark.

"How can I be angry with you for wanting what the heart wants? I have no control over your emotions, John. I suppose that I am 'growing fond' of Evan's company as well" he said. "Polygamy is not an uncommon thing John. Various cultures believe that to share love is an overall positive choice, for it allows others to enjoy happiness in that way too. My kind relied on that kind of love to get them through the war, for it gave them something to fight for, provided morale…" and with that, he left, having something else to tend to for the time being. John meanwhile, processed it to the most basic of terms.

"The Ancients had threesomes?!"

It was later, on that same spot that Evan had painted that picture of him that Loros stood, leaning against the railing and breathing in the fresh air. Sure, Eden was a beautiful paradise, but Lantea was his home, a near endless clear blue ocean with one large continent on its waters. On top of that, he was able to watch the sun reflect off of the metal spires of his home.

"You really like to come here" Evan said behind him, before coming to stand next to him.

"I always come here to look at the beauty of this city…of our home…"

"It is beautiful…" Evan said.

"You too have a tendency to come here. Artistic muse making an appearance, Evan?" Loros teased lightly and Evan chuckled. "However, I do believe you are still technically on duty and therefore unable to paint this scene once more…"

"Well I'm happy just seeing it…" There's a brief silence.

"When you told me and John that you had grown fond of us…you meant something a little bit more, did you not?"

"Those empathic powers kick in?" Lorne asked, though he did not deny it.

"No they did not. It is a mere intuition" Loros smiled slightly. He was answered by a shy, featherlight kiss upon his lips.

"Was that too far?" Evan asked, almost meekly. Gone was the Major for the time being, and now in front of him was the Lorne that was baring his feelings in front of him, not an easy task for someone who had been in the military for a while, especially with rules as stringent as Earth's. And it is because of those reasons that he smiled and felt touched.

"No it was not Evan…thank you for sharing that with me" he said and Evan relaxed, but only slightly.

"I'm like the Colonel…well, like most soldiers. Expressing emotions is a difficult thing for me…"

"Then you need to think of it like you are painting. You are expressing yourself through that method" he said, and then he hugged the Major and kissed his forehead softly. "I would suggest talking to John when you are off duty tonight…" he smiled and returned to the spot where he was standing and Evan stood next to him…closer this time and his soft hand was enclosed by a slightly calloused one.

"Wonder how he'll react…"

"It will be fine…I promise"

John had left on a mission before Evan could talk to him but the military commander promised that they could talk over a beer. Meanwhile, Loros began his research into the nanite virus, something that had been nagging in the back of his mind since Lorne told him about it. The Lantean was wary about the creations of his kind, more so when he found out about that virus. It was sophisticated like a lot of their technology, however it was also brutal and it harmed humans, which was unnerving to say the least.

"Terrifying visions…ruptured artery…my kind created this?" he asked no one in particular.

"What are you looking at?" Evan came in.

"The information that you were able to gather on that virus…It is a little unnerving"

"Who created it?"

"I was just getting to that section…" he said and then his eyes widened in horror. "No…I thought I heard the last of that planet…" he breathed out and at Evan's look, he explained. "During our research into the use of nanite technology, our scientists were able to create a weapon, much more sophisticated than the virus. What we did not expect was the nanites coming together to form mimicry's of us… They replicated…"

"Replicated…no…they're replicators…"

"You have encountered them before?"

"In the Milky Way, they gave us and the Asgard a fair few problems…"

"These are much worse in comparison. They emulated us in every known way. Our demeanour, our technology and our architecture was recreated perfectly. However they soon began to strive for Ascension and because they were machines, they were incapable of ever Ascending. They became angry, and attacked us but we altered their base code to prevent the attack. However, the project was deemed a failure. I was called in with several warships and cruisers to eliminate the replicators and the city that they had built on the planet. We thought we were successful… but it is clear that some of the nanites have survived. The planet that AR-1 and Elizabeth are on…"

"Is the Replicator homeworld…" Evan realised.

"Let us hope that the nanites do not perceive them as a threat…"

"If they do?"

Loros could not answer him, but he felt an overwhelming sense of guilt. Guilt for not warning them about the planet, and guilt for not informing them prior of what they had done involving that kind of technology. More so was the feeling of helplessness. If they have indeed survived over ten millennia, then the city they had built would be large and they would be in possession of weapons that would ultimately decimate the Helios' defences if it went south.

"We can only hope…"

In the Control Room, they computer beeped as a large target dropped out of hyperspace above the planet. It was larger than anything they had ever encountered and soon the sensors were able to detect that it was in fact a city-ship only it was not one of the Ancients. Loros' worst fears were realised right then and there. The nanites were back and they were definitely well-equipped. He raised the shield and told Lorne to head for the Control Chair immediately, already set to blow the ship out of orbit if he had to.

Yet as soon as it had dropped out, it had disappeared, and the energy of the explosion was massive according to the sensors. A single Puddle Jumper was on its way down to the planet and Loros went to join the security team in the Jumper bay for when it arrived. Soon it was lowered into the room and the door opened, revealing AR-1 and Elizabeth safe, sound and hopefully uninjured. He sighed, half in relief, half in frustration as he was worried how they would react.

They briefed them and Lorne had to act surprised, and he pulled it off rather well. Elizabeth on the other hand had noticed that Loros was eerily calm and she dismissed everyone but him. John went with Lorne, intent on having that beer and that talk whilst Loros prepared for whatever anger she had to throw at him.

"You took part in their destruction?" she asked, deceptively calm.

"I did"

"And you didn't inform us?" she asked, an angry tone seeping into her voice.

"I had no idea that they were still active. As far as I knew, as far as the Council knew, even, they were all but annihilated during our attack and subsequent destruction of the colony" he answered truthfully.

"And why didn't you tell us?!"

"I had no idea that you would find the address, that they were still active!" he raised his voice.

"So the nanovirus…?"

"It was before my time. I thought that the research with nanites stopped with that damned virus but apparently I was too blind to know. I found out about the Asurans a couple of years before the end of our war when I was called in to destroy their colony. Until then I was not privy to the research that was ultimately being conducted. If I had known, I would have stopped you from going to that damned planet. Now, they are angry. Now they will not stop until this city is destroyed…and it is my fault. I should have known…should have warned you…"

"Loros…" she said softly, regretting her assumption. "You didn't know…you couldn't have known…"

"I should have considered the very real possibility that they were still active, that they would rebuild their civilisation. Major Lorne told me of the events that transpired when you encountered the virus and it had me concerned. By the time I looked into the files, you had already gone and I was unable to transmit a message to you in any form…"

"Well then…" she said and stood, resolution in her eyes. "We've faced them once and defeated them. We can do it again"

Later that night, Loros was on the balcony attached to his room, looking out over the sea. He had asked the city not to disturb him in anyway, so he was unaware that not only John had returned, but Lorne had as well. When they cleared their throats to get his attention, he actually jumped and turned to see them, brows raised, half-hearted smiles present.

"John, Evan…I did not hear you come in"

"The city didn't tell you?"

"I asked it to not disturb me. I am just wondering how yet another mistake of my kind has come back to bite your people… I was so sure they were gone…" he said the last bit softly. The two Air Force soldiers came out onto the balcony, each taking a hand. "With the Asurans now a threat to you…"

"You're here…and like you said, they cannot harm their creators…"

"Indirectly they can. Like they intended to do earlier today"

"Well we destroyed their only ship…it seems like they do not have any ships capable of engaging us at the moment" Lorne said and John looked down.

"Not to put a downer on things but their society is far grander than what we thought. Their city covers most if not the entire planet, so I imagine it shall not be long before they start building ships to fight us…" John said and Loros sighed.

"So we are in the middle of a three-way conflict…"

Loros was away for a regular check up on Olesia now that his ship was back to fighting form. He had been told not to return due to a nanite threat in the city and that Elizabeth had slipped into some kind of coma. An update later revealed that she had come into contact with an Asuran which had infected her with nanites. He decided then that he would return despite Sheppard's warning not to, making a beeline for the infirmary.

"I thought I told you to stay at Olesia?" John said with a sigh.

"You know me well enough now to know that I never listen to your orders, John"

"Well seeing as you're here, let's bring ya up to speed" Carson said. "The nanites are slowly taking over Elizabeth's mind and body. At the moment, I have no idea how to deal with them. They're too concentrated for an electromagnetic burst to deal with…"

"Perhaps I can order them not to harm her…Asurans are nanites after all and their base code stops them from harming me…so maybe I can get them to shut down by sheer will alone…" Loros suggested.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"They cannot affect me, John" he said, entering the tent.

"Just be careful…they may do more harm if something goes wrong" Carson said and the other chuckled humourlessly.

"I am well aware of the drastic consequences if this does not go well, Carson, thank you" he said.

Gently, he grabbed Elizabeth's hand and his eyes glowed blue as he interfaced with the nanites in her system. You will leave this body intact. You shall not touch her mind and you will obey the law set by your creator. I order you to deactivate now. The others watched as he relayed the mental commands and Carson could see that half of the nanites were deactivated by his order, but the rest were resisting him.

"They are disobeying…" Loros was surprised.

"It might have something to do with the fact that you didn't contribute to their actual creation but are merely the same kind. Remember that these machines have gained some form of sentience so they'll misbehave like little children" Rodney offered up.

"He did manage to weaken them some…" Carson noted.

"Weren't the Asurans initially created as a weapon to fight against the Wraith?" Teyla asked and Loros gave a brief nod.

"There aggression code against them was deactivated…" Rodney said.

"That may be so, however these nanites are individual to the Asurans and their initial coding should still be intact"

"Perhaps we could inject her with Wraith cells… get them to act on their initial coding and fight of the cells and force them to separate and then the electromagnetic pulse should work in deactivating them. It'll end the coma then" Carson suggested and Loros thought for a moment.

"It might work…" the Lantean conceded, leaving the tent and sealing it properly.

"The nanites on you now are deactivated right?" McKay asked, trying to step away subtly.

"Yes, they are" he smiled slightly.

Carson injected the Wraith cells and like they had all hoped, the nanites broke off to deal with the invading cells. Using the electromagnetic pulse generator, they were able to knock out more of the nanites, but not all of them. Elizabeth's fate was in her own hands now, but with the nanites no longer that much of a threat, there wasn't much they could do to harm her anymore except keep her in that coma. John, however, felt that she needed a push and despite risking an infection himself, he went into the tent and grasped her hand and arm.

"You're not alone, Elizabeth. We're right here with you. You have to fight this" John said.

"They've begun to spread. We're losing her" Beckett said.

"Not yet, we're not" he said resolutely.

"You've been infected by nanites. They're trying to take control of your mind and body. Don't let them do it"

Carson ordered a medic to take him away to be put into isolation for a scan. Loros didn't know if the nanites could affect him due to his gene as he was still a human and therefore not even related to their creator. All he could do now was watch and pray that John's words would help to bring her out of this coma.

"Please Elizabeth…the alternate you was a fighter…I am therefore led to believe that you are too. Come back to us…" he whispered quietly. "You are strong-willed. You said your kind had beaten them before, then you can do it again" he said, getting into the tent and taking John's place. A few minutes she awakens and grasps Loros' hand in hers tightly as she looks around the room.

"Where am I?" she asks.

"In the infirmary. How are you?" Teyla asked.

"I'm back in Atlantis…" she smiled in relief.

"You never left" the Scot said gently.

Later that very same night, Loros was propped up on the bed looking at a tablet whilst Lorne sat on one of the white chairs, sketch pad in hand. John was still in quarantine, as far as he knew, but his research revealed that it would be pointless anyway. Nanites cannot affect anyone with the Ancient gene for one and they were too focused on their primary target to even take an interest in the military commander.

"He will be fine. They cannot affect him"

"That's a relief" Lorne smiled.

"So…did you have that talk when he got back?" Loros asked, a small smile on his face as he put the device down. The blush on his face was telling enough. "Ahh you did…and did it lead to anything? A kiss perhaps? I find John to be an excellent kisser…" Loros said and Lorne's sketch pad rose to cover his face.

"It…got a little heated…"

"Good?"

"Very" he admitted with a very sheepish grin.

"I did say so"

Despite the looming threat of the Wraith and the Replicators, Loros was ready to face it. He had his family, his lovers and more importantly, he had his resolve. No way in this life was he allowing either race to do damage to this galaxy and he was definitely going to right the wrongs of his kind. For too long they have done nothing…