A/N We're heading into the Stargate episodes Reckoning, part one and two, where the Free Jaffa mount a psychological bid to turn the tide of war against the Gou'ald. They want to attack Dakara, the holiest place in Jaffa legend, the place where the Gou'ald made them Jaffa after taking their ancestors from Earth. The Dakara superweapon is discovered and used to destroy the Replicators, unnecessary in my story because they already have been. Major Carter and Jacob/Selmak theorize that the Ancients used it to seed life in the galaxy before they left. Only there's no evidence they actually did that. We know of only one world where life was seeded, Earth. Over the course of the show, we see evidence of no more then a few alien civilizations. Okay, so it's also theorized that the Gou'ald destroyed them. But if those civilizations began a million years before the Gou'ald, wouldn't they have stood a better chance of defending themselves? And wouldn't there have been some evidence that they existed at all? The Ancients seeded humans throughout Pegasus, but the Gou'ald took humans from Earth and spread them around the galaxy. So no, the idea that they seeded life in the Milky Way doesn't add up. Unless you're talking their life, since they dominated the galaxy for 50 million years. For the purposes of my story, I've created another explanation for Dakara's superweapon.

######

Alexander returned the Altimah to the hanger bay and headed back to Sunnydale. After the last couple of miserable days, he needed to spend time with his family, with Corda. It would help balance out the horror and regret clawing at his belly.

He headed for the apartment he and Corda shared and let himself in. She lay in their bed, looking so peaceful, so beautiful. Hard to believe that this woman could fight nearly as well as a Slayer, when you saw her looking like this. She sensed his presence and opened her eyes.

Corda had seen that look on Alexander's face before. They'd fought a war together. She hadn't been just his wife, she'd been his first officer. People were dead and he hadn't been able to save them.

"How bad?" She murmured softly.

"Twelve. McKay violated the terms of his continuing with the Project. He lied to Beckett and got him to sit in the chair while he ran tests. Beckett was so nervous, he accidentally fired a drone. A portion of the ice sheet was destroyed. Twelve people from the research station didn't make it. I had to tow the outpost to an island in international waters. McKay is being charged with involuntary manslaughter, twelve counts. This feels as bad as finding a culled world did back in Pegasus."

She just opened her arms and he gratefully went into her embrace. Corda held him as he cried for people he couldn't save, for the helpless feeling of watching them die. Of making the choice to raise the shield and save some, while condemning others. Finally he slept and she held him throughout the night.

The next morning was a beautiful, sunny California day. As Alexander and Corda got ready for their day, Alexander reminded her of something.

"We haven't had a date night for awhile and you lost our bet, so I get to pick our date night. I was thinking, the SGC reports include mention of a world where Jack got trapped for three months. Carter saved him by breaking one of their idea of the laws of physics. The planet is called Edora by the humans that live there. They have something they call fire rain. A meteor shower that happens on a regular basis, which will include tonight. We could take the Altimah and go watch the shower."

"That sounds romantic. I'm up for it. How long will it take to get there?"

"It's not far, a couple of hours, but we need to leave within an hour or we'll miss it."

"Then let me call Giles and let him know, so no one worries and then we can go."

After calling Giles, the couple drove back to the hanger and Alexander launched the Altimah toward Edora. They parked well away from the human settlement and laid out a blanket on the soft grass. Alexander stretched out on his back and Corda lay with her head on his chest. Then the shower began.

"I can see why they call it fire rain." She murmured. "Gods, that is so beautiful."

"It is. It can be deadly, that's how Jack ended up stranded here. Sometimes, Edora gets a little too close. But mostly, it's just something to be awed by."

Eventually the fire rain passed and a different fire consumed them, as Alexander sought joy instead instead of pain and Corda happily gave it to him. And though they didn't yet know it, a renewal of life as well.

Morning found them heading back towards Earth and their family.

"You're back." Oz said when he saw Alexander.

"Yeah, we had some trouble at the outpost." And he told them what had happened.

"He reminds me of Quentin, so certain he's right and everyone else is wrong." Giles said thoughtfully. "There is no shortage of such people in the world, I'm afraid."

"Unfortunate, but true." Alexander agreed. "So how are things going back here in Sunnydale?"

"Well, we've nearly finished construction on the plant." Johnathan said. "It went a little faster then anticipated. We thought three weeks, but two and a half total and it should be done. Which is in just a couple of days."

"And I've already hired a couple of people. Sam gave me the heads up on some people who burned out on working for the Program, but still work in their chosen field." Corda said. "I interviewed them. It's helps that they already know about alien life and technology and have even studied some. Oz showed them the schematics for some of what we're going to be building and they understood them and are very excited to get started."

"Good, it's nice to know some things are going well."