A/N Some times I get guest reviews that I find it necessary to delete because they use very impolite language. They also tend to make comments that makes me wonder if they actually read the story or just skimmed and picked out a word or two that they could use to justify a complaint. I'm pretty sure they made up their minds that they weren't going to like my story before they started reading it and were just looking for anything they could use to justify their preconceptions. Please be polite in your comments. I'm aware that me pointing out how your favorite characters made bad choices way more then the characters you love to hate did, annoys you, but I don't make impolite comments on your stories. If you're even bothering to write any, that is.

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Once Sheppard and his jumper group returned, Alexander contacted Jon to check in.

"Good work. Take the cloaked jumpers back up and see about freeing those humans. Kill the Wraith you encounter."

"Will do."

He turned back to the gate teams. "Lorne, get Dr. Weir back to base and have Beckett put her in the healing pod. Then bring Dr. Brightman and her team back. Sheppard, let's load up the jumpers and take that hive."

"Yes, sir."

They recloaked and headed back to the hive back ship.

"The jumper scan shows the entrance to the hanger deck is over there." Alexander used the HUD to indicate the location. "If you blast a hole there with a drone, we'll have a way in."

"Good shooting." Alexander said a moment later.

"Thanks, should be big enough for us to fly in now." Sheppard led the three ships in. Once on board, the cloaked jumpers parked and with Alexander and his scanner in the lead, set out to find the humans.

"We kill any Wraith we encounter, but especially after we've freed the humans, I want to avoid any fire fights if possible. There's several dozen humans on board and protecting them is going to be difficult enough." Alexander instructed.

"I agree. We can always destroy the hive after we've gotten everyone out."

The rest nodded and they began a slow and careful journey through the hive ship, killing any Wraith they encountered and hiding the bodies. Then they found the first group of humans.

"What is this?" One of the men asked.

"I've never been on a Wraith ship before and we had very little intelligence on what happened after the Wraith would take humans they didn't immediately feed on. My scanner says they're in some kind of cocoon. Their metabolism has been slowed. Cut them out very carefully. We need to get them down to the planet so we can properly evaluate them."

They did so and with Sheppard, Alexander and Markham guarding the others, began taking the humans back to the jumpers. After freeing about a dozen, they took them back to the planet. It was on their third trip the Wraith discovered what was going on.

"So much for avoiding a fire fight." Alexander muttered as they encountered a group of armed Wraith. "Drones. The vast majority of all Wraith are drones. Take 'em all out." Once they'd done so, they continued moving humans out.

"There aren't many Wraith left on board and most of them are clustered on the other side of the ship. Probably protecting the Queen. They know something is going on, they're not stupid. But they're expecting us to go after the Queen. I doubt it occured to them before they discovered the missing humans that we'd try to free them."

"We're not going to be able to make many more trips." Sheppard said. "We've been lucky so far. Now that they know we're freeing the humans, they're going to change their own strategy."

"True and as much as I want to save all of them, we probably won't be able to."

In the end they weren't able to save all of the humans. They were returning to the jumpers on the fourth trip when Alexander reported a large group in bound toward their location.

"They're carrying heavy weapons. Ones that could damage the hive ship itself further. They probably want to overwhelm us so they can take us prisoner and question us. The Queen and some of the males are psychic. They may find out about Earth and the Milky Way. It's time to go. This is the last batch we're going to be able to get out." Alexander said.

"Agreed." Sheppard said grimly. "We got more then I thought we would anyway."

Once back aboard the jumpers, they exited the hive ship.

"Destroy them, Major." Alexander ordered. "We can't give them a chance to report this to other hives."

"Firing now. They're venting atmosphere. Firing again. Well that did it." As the hive began to come apart in front of them.

"I'm not reading any Wraith life signs. Let's head back."

Sheppard's jumper group headed back to Athos.