Lorne looked around his office at ART2. He was leaning up against his desk. Cadman was sitting in the open window. Parish was sitting in the only 'guest' chair and Sergeant Carver was leaning up against the wall next to the door. Aislin was standing in front of him, hands on her hips and glaring. They were going to be split up, something that normally would never take place, but this was a unique situation. "Aislin, you're not under my command for this. You're medical personnel and under Doctor Beckett's command for major operations like this. The ART teams are for normal, exploratory and diplomatic missions, not for expected full scale combat."

"I'm a McManus and a shepherd, Major Lorne," Aislin growled in his face.

"I know," he said quietly. "That's why Doctor Beckett has assigned you to the Orion. You're one of the very few ATA positives that we have in the medical department. In fact, your gene may mean life or death to an injured crewman."

It was the solid certainty in his voice that shut down her protests. Doctor Beckett was good, there was no doubt about that, but his entire trauma experience came from his time here in Atlantis. What they were about to head into was going to be much worse and she knew it. She'd done her time in the trauma trenches during her time in London's trauma unit. There was nothing like cleaning up after a gang war, bombing or a massive pile up to get you used to the sort of thing they were going to be facing, and even worse was the night she'd had all three come through her ER doors within a few short hours of each other.

"Promise me you'll take the twins with you then," she growled. She hated the idea that her team was going into danger without her.

"I was planning on it. I don't care what the Colonel thinks; putting those two on the rail guns is not a good idea. They'll freak out on being separated on either side of the Orion for such a long time. There's going to be an awful lot of waiting before the fireworks start."

"Either that, or they'll start a competition on just who can shoot the most darts," Cadman chimed in.

Parish began laughing at the idea, and Lorne just shook his head. Actually he thought that the Colonel was hoping that he would take the twins off his hands but John Sheppard wasn't the sort of commanding officer to order his problem onto his 2IC. Considering what he had already told his team, he wasn't opposed to taking the twins with him. He couldn't see putting the twins through that sort of trauma when they were bound to have enough of that in every other aspect of this operation. At the very least, they were excellent pilots and even better shots.

"You're not going with us either, Doctor Parish." Lorne didn't like having to lay down the law with his botanist, but there was no way in hell he was going to be taking his scientist into this.

"Oh I know," Parish said easily. "I'm no use in heavy combat and I know it. I was lucky to make it through geek boot camp. Aislin and her people will have plenty of homegrown medicine to supplement their supplies. Unfortunately that's all we botanists can do in this situation."

"You can keep an eye on the kids," Lorne pointed out. "We're more than likely going to be taking more than a few of their regular caretakers with us." As they were going to have to take as many ATAs with them as possible, both those who had the gene naturally and those who had taken the therapy to activate their recessive gene, Lorne wasn't just talking to cheer Parish up.

"Cadman, you're assigned to Teyla and her geek. I want you to make sure that you know several different places to put that nuke in case we can't get to the primary site," Lorne continued.

Cadman nodded, easily accepting the dangerous assignment. One thing that she liked about Lorne was that he was almost a Marine in his outlook. He had no problems with her being a woman or with putting her into dangerous situations that he wasn't sure that he would be able to make it out of. It was too bad that he had to have gone and joined the Air Force. The Marines missed out on a good commander with him.

"Carver," Lorne began.

"I watch everyone's back," the sergeant easily told his CO. He was comfortable with his position on the team. Someone had to take the rear guard and he was proud that he was often given the dangerous position. It was never more important than when they were headed into questionable or even better, territory that was known to be dangerous.

Lorne nodded before once more sweeping his office and his team with a look. "The Orion launches at 0800 tomorrow morning. Be ready, be careful, be safe. I'll see you all back here when we're done. I don't want to see any empty positions the next time I see you lot." Taking that as a dismissal, the four teammates left the office exchanging goodbyes and good wishes.

Radek looked over the two teams of three that stood before him. Sergeants Cadman and Brant were the Marines that Major Lorne had ordered to join Teyla and Ronon in escorting the scientists assigned to place the two nukes that would turn the two Wraith Hive ships into so much space junk. Personally he was very glad to see that both Sheppard and Lorne were taking the safety of his scientists so seriously. Teyla and Ronon were the deadliest fighters Atlantis had hands down. Cadman and Brant were the most skilled explosives experts among the Marines assigned to Atlantis. None of them were strangers to this sort of mission.

On his part, Radek had asked for volunteers from among the scientists studying the Wraith technology with him. He was not surprised to see who had jumped at the chance to get into a real live ship, even if the job was to blow it into space dust. He'd been forced to choose the two who had passed the geek boot camp with the highest scores in fighting and shooting – the very courses that he'd failed so miserably.

Jason Lowell; a xeno-biologist now that there actually was alien biology to study, biologist, and veterinarian who helped out in the village with hunting and animal husbandry when he was wasn't studying the Wraith technology. Radek had a suspicion that he was courting one of the Athosian women, but the large man was a gentleman to a fault and would never mention something like that until it was time to announce the marriage. Sarah Blake was a chemical engineer and head of the chemistry department, having taken over from Kavanagh when he was sent back to Earth. Radek didn't know exactly what sort of experience she'd had in the past. She'd merely laughed at the question and said that she'd had radical friends. Radek assumed that was some type of cultural reference because it had gotten a grin out of the other Americans in the room.

"This is where the nuke must be placed for maximum destruction," he said, showing the diagram that he'd created based on both his research and what they'd managed to retrieve from the Wraith computers. "Here, here and here are the second choice sites. They will not achieve the same amount of destruction of the hive, but will still render the entire ship into tablet sized pieces. If you are able to set off the nuke in any of these places, the Wraith and anyone else on board will not survive."

Radek looked them all over carefully. They were solemn, but each met his eyes with determination. "I do not wish to learn that any of you were lost. Please, be very careful. You will have ten minutes to evacuate the hive once the countdown begins. It will take much longer for anyone to disarm the bombs, I promise you. There will be no stopping this once the timer is set. These are the ways that the device may be attached."

Halling was one of the first people to get to the mission lists as they were posted by Elizabeth less than an hour after Sheppard had dismissed everyone from the briefing. He was not qualified, not by any means, to take any of the positions required for this mission, but he wanted to see for himself that what he had been told was true, and that the Earth born were not fighting this fight alone. He wanted, ( oh how he wanted!) for his people to be on the Orion helping to destroy their enemy.

His eyes found Teyla's name and his heart almost burst with pride. She had been chosen to be one of those who carried their weapon into the heart of one of the Wraith hive ships. Two of their warriors had been given positions manning the Orion's weapons, and three of those who had trained under Doctor Zelenka and the other teachers would be working in the Orion's engine room. "Our people have done the Ancestors proud," he told his son Jinto, who was standing at his side.

"One day I too, will be a Lantian soldier like Colonel Sheppard and I will help to defend our people," Jinto promised as his father led him away so that others might read the lists.

"It is not just the soldiers who are going to fight this battle," Halling pointed out. "Not all of those people whose names are on there are warriors. It is the scientists, the doctors and the diplomats who have made all of this possible. Without any one of them, there would be no way to defeat the hives. Do not limit yourself so early my son. You have only taken the first step on your life's journey. Lantian learning takes many years, but it gives you far greater choices than any other place of learning. I am pleased that you have chosen to take this path. You have always made me proud Jinto. Never forget that."

"Even if I became a botanist?" Jinto asked, shuddering.

Halling chuckled, but wasn't too happy. Jinto had been spending too much time with Doctor McKay for certain. He respected Doctor McKay, and knew that the man knew far more than he did about a great many things. That did not stop him from being a very rude person. How Teyla and the rest of her teammates put up with the man was more than Halling could grasp.

"Doctors Parish and Brown have both introduced us to and have created many new crops for our people to grow. Many are tasty, all are nutritious, and most are far easier to grow than many of the crops we had before. Some of these new crops have become valuable trade items. I even know of one world where their work has saved an entire people from starvation. If you were to become a botanist such as they are, I would be very proud of you Jinto. You would bring much honor to our people," Halling told him.

"I still want to fight the Wraith," Jinto said.

"Of course you do," Halling said. "The Wraith are our greatest enemy, but you must remember that they are not our only one." He stopped and turned them around to look back at the notice board. "Look Jinto, and see the honor of our allies. The Earth born could have simply taken the Orion and chased down the hive ships that threatened their homeworld with no help from anyone. They could have hoarded that fight for themselves as the Genii leaders once tried to do.

"Instead, they offer places in the fight for all who are able and wish to fight. Those who are not able, but still wish to fight they are willing to teach to do things that will help us to fight all of our enemies in ways that I cannot even begin to imagine. They even give this chance to those that others in our galaxy would spurn as traitors, such as the Genii who survived meeting the mila poppaaem. Learn your lessons from all of the Earth born well my son, so that one day you too can bring such honor to our family and our people."