10,000 years ago:

"If you think they're using us and this negotiation attempt is just a ruse to buy time for them to escape, why go along with it?" Cordelia asked.

"Because we don't know for sure. This could be a real attempt. And if we're there with them, we may spot something they've missed and be able to help. We have to at least try, lives depend on it." Xander answered.

"Crap, I hate it when you're heroically stupid. You tend to get hurt more. I'm coming with. Maybe I can keep you out of trouble."

"You're welcome to try. My attempts to stay out of trouble never seem to work."

"Tell me about it. You haven't even told me how you got that scar over your butt."

"That was totally not my fault, I swear! I did not encourage that woman to hit on me, I never do and I certainly did not know she had an over protective big brother, plus he had lousy aim, could barely hold the bow or notch the arrow."

"Uh huh and just how hot was this girl?"

"By our standards? None, her people paint themselves blue because they consider it a holy color. She was neon colored."

Cordelia started laughing and looked liked she might bust a gut.

Later, Xander and Cordelia were introduced to the Captain of the ship leading the assembled armada for the attempted negotiations. It was a very big armada. The Captain's name was Helia and she had been commanding her ship for many years. Xander noticed something interesting about all of the ships and decided to ask Hella about it.

"Captain, are there any advanced human cultures in this galaxy? I notice all of the ships in your armada are part of your fleet."

"There are advanced human cultures but they are nowhere near our own technological level."

"Do any of them have space flight? Armed ships?"

"Yes."

"Do they fight back against the Wraith?"

"Yes, of course. Why the questions?"

"Have you ever joined with them in battle?"

She stared at him like she didn't understand his question.

"Why would we do that? Their technology is primitive compared to our own. If we are unable to defeat the Wraith, how can they be expected to?"

"With strategies you've never considered. In our galaxy, for the last five thousand years, a race called the Goa'uld, a considerably more advanced then us people, enslaved and ruled nearly galaxy wide. We broke the back of their empire within eight years of first learning about them and freed millions from slavery. They never thought a primitive in comparison to them technologically people, could ever defeat them and yet we did. If you joined with the humans in this galaxy you'd have resources and new ideas, the war could end with humans as the victors."

"It would take too long to teach them how to make our ships, as I said, they're not nearly as advanced as we are."

"You don't need to, just work together."

"Their understanding is too far below ours, getting them to follow orders would be too difficult."

"You don't need to be in charge over them. I'm certain they are quite capable of making their own decisions."

"These are useless questions. Your suggestion would never work. Now if you would please stay out of the way, we have a mission to complete."

"And what exactly is your mission, ma'am? To attempt negotiations or to buy time for the rest of your people to escape and abandon the humans of this galaxy to a war you have been fighting and losing while they deal with your spillover?" Xander asked.

"How dare you! You have no idea what we've endured!"

"From the comfort of your technologically advanced cities with their shields? Not nearly as much as the humans have." Cordelia said.

Helia grimly ignored them and ordered her fleet into battle. They lost. Helia's ship and one other survived. The other ship, Hypaferrelcus, ridiculous name, took on survivors from the other ships and retreated from the battle. They left the Hypaferrelcus in a shipyard because it was too badly damaged to continue.

"Now what, Hella? What are you going to do now?" Xander asked.

"Now we join our people on Earth. Our ship will traverse the void. Atlantis' Stargate is now blocked. No one in this galaxy can use it. Perhaps if we recover enough, we can come back."

"Drop us on the nearest technologically advanced human planet." Cordelia said.

"Why? It's not like you can do anything."

"This is the second time I've learned about a war and humans in danger. I couldn't turn away then, no matter how much I wanted to. I refuse to now."

Xander wasn't certain, maybe 99% sure, he'd never loved Cordelia Chase more then in that moment. Her courage was astonishing. Not that she'd ever see it that way. This was simply the right thing to do.

Helia left them on a planet known as Genii, one of the more advanced human societies in Pegasus. They had spaceflight and their ships were armed. They were most definitely willing to fight the Wraith. At this point, joining with other human cultures hadn't occured to them either. They were at first skeptical when Xander and Cordelia presented the idea, but quickly warmed to it. This might just turn the tide. Only time would tell. They set out to contact every advanced world they were aware of, which was many and slowly they began to build their resources up. Building ships armed to the teeth. Training crews to run them. Discussing strategies. It took several years, but finally a massive fleet had been assembled, ready to take on the Wraith.