10,000 years ago:

The Council decided to try negotiating with their enemy again. Before they could do that, Dr. Weir asked what the issues were. The answer was stunning. Their enemy simply wanted to eat people. People objected to being eaten. Thus the war.

"That's the issue? They want to eat people and refuse to consider other food sources?" Xander asked.

"We don't know if they're are even capable of consuming anything else. We do know, they feed on the humans they take or encounter."

"Feed how?"

"Thru a type of secondary month on their hands. They have a mouth, like we do and speak and have their own language, but whether they ever use it to eat, we don't know." Janus told them.

"And this feeding process?" Dr. Weir asked. "What does it entail?"

"They drain the life from their victims, leaving them a withered husk."

'Crap.' Xander thought. 'Like a combination of a vampire and Ampata, the Incan mummy girl.'

"I don't think negotiating is going to work." Xander said. "It can't, especially if they can't or won't consider alternative food sources."

"I believe you are correct." Janus said. "But they still want to try again. I wish to ask a question and I do not mean to offend, but both you and your wife avoid saying my name. Dr. Weir seems to have no issues with saying my name, why do you?"

"Because Janus is the name a god on Earth and knowing we're in the past and also knowing you eventually return to Earth, I'm hoping you're not the inspiration for that god. I'm not trying to be offensive, it's just, Janus is still worshipped by some on our world. We've personally met one such person. I don't like him, but that's a personality conflict, not a knock on his religious beliefs."

"If you are referring to the god of transitions, no I am not him, but I am named for him."

"Yes, Janus, god of gates, thresholds, the in-between areas, male and female, past and future, war and peace, etc. You know of him?!" Xander asked, excitedly, most definitely off track from the discussion on the Ancients enemy. After all, he was considered an expert on myths and folklore because he knew so much about them, though no one knew that knowledge came from working with the Slayer.

"Yes, through our people, for the most part, do not worship any gods any more, believing we've outgrown it, Janus is still known and some do still worship him."

"Man, that would make him older then any other god on Earth. He's one of the few not tied to a specific feature of our world either. Like the gods associated with the sun or the moon or the Earth it's self or some aspect, like weather or animals."

"Captain." Dr. Weir said. "I understand that myths and folklore are one of your areas of expertise, but we need to focus on strategies for negotiating with these people. What are they called anyway?"

"We don't know if they have or ever did have a name for themselves. Some of the more primitive worlds have taken to calling them Wraith. It's a suitable name. They appear out of nowhere, produce a fog that one can see images in and are telepathic to a degree, at least the females, known as Queens, appear to be." Janus told them.

"Perhaps there may be a scientific solution." Dr. Weir suggested. "If they allow us to study them, maybe we could find a way to make such feeding unnecessary."

"That too has been suggested, they won't allow anyone to study them and we've never been able to get ahold of an intact body."

"Why not? In a century of warfare, you should have been able to." Xander asked, curious.

"Because most battles occur in space. We win most battles because of superior firepower, but their numbers are greater then ours and they increase in numbers faster then we do. In addition, we build our ships, they grow theirs, they're organic."

"So the ship and anyone on it, is destroyed in the battle? I take it disabling and boarding isn't a possibility, given that they try to eat anyone who came on board."

"You are correct. It was tried a few times, and then given up."

"Dr. Weir, I honestly don't know why they're considering a new attempt at negotiating. A solution is not feasible under the circumstances, in my opinion." Xander said.

"I'm afraid you might be right, Captain. If they thought we would be able to come up with a strategy they've overlooked, it seems we will be disappointing them."

"I'm not certain they're actually interested in negotiating anymore. I think this attempt might actually be a distraction so people can evacuate to Atlantis prior to returning to Earth. They've been talking about returning to Earth for months now. Your arrival may have helped them make up their minds." Janus told them.

"They're using us?!" Xander exclaimed.

"I do not know for certain, but it's a possibility." Janus told them.

"In that case, Dr. Weir, I don't think we should all go. Cordelia and I could go and you can stay and try to convince the Council to call it off. If anyone has a chance of doing that, it's you. Moros had made it clear, soldiers don't rank high as far as he's concerned and he pretty much ignored Cordelia. He showed respect for you."

"No pressure. If I fail, you and your wife will die 10,000 years and 3 million light years from your home."

"Yes and I should warn you, we both have a vindictive streak, but Cordy's is bigger. She may just come back as a ghost and haunt you and since I'd refuse to move on without her, I'd probably be haunting you too."

"Good to know." Dr. Weir said dryly.