Gates of Blood

by Ritha Guider

A dual-component retrovirus is written by Lantean scientist Ritha Guider for the redemption of the wraith and harmony for the Pegasus Galaxy. But there is one more barrier to overcome before both races can fully live in peace; even Ritha Guider's love for Todd the wraith takes Atlantis itself into heroic events never before encountered. Welcome to Gates of Blood, the grand finale!

1. Ep 1: Origin

Gates of Blood

A Stargate Atlantis Finale

2009-2015

By Ritha Guider

To my dad, who introduced me to the awesome continuation of my favorite series

Remembering Dean Devlin, Brad Wright, and Robert C. Cooper, just a few of the geniuses behind the Stargate storylines

And for Christopher Heyerdahl, the man behind my favorite Stargate character, and an extraordinary actor who never ceases to amaze me

The Blood Prophecy

"Morz, morz, comedath perzibu sannth."

Wraith Ancient

translation -

"Death shall death eat."

"Not all those who wander are lost. Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very wise cannot see all ends."

-J. R. R. Tolkien

"The Vytrin could do more than allow our races to coexist in peace. It is about retrieving what was lost when the Iratus Bug first fed."

– Ritha Guider

"You know, Thor, we could still use somebody like you. Just saying. You're up there, right? Hear me? Doesn't look like Earth's my old-folk's home anymore." - Jack O'Neill's comment to thin air before the Battle of Aldeni, 2014

General George Hammond in a letter to Samantha Carter, not long before he passed away in 2008-

"Where there's a breath, there's a hope… you've said it before, we all have, and we've taken the old saying to heart in the direst of situations… I know it won't strike you as too odd that sometimes hope can be found in a few of those enemies beneath us, and possibly in a few of those above- unlikely allies who become the keys to undoing the death and destruction we're constantly working to put a stop to. I wonder if someday you'll be privileged to see the weaving of all our hands, joined as one throughout the universe, throughout our galaxies, and through the stargates themselves. I hope that you do."

Preface

The Stargate Series from SG-1 to SGA moved me more than many stories have. The idea for a continuation of Stargate Atlantis struck me mere moments after I finished watching the series for the first time. It was during the episodes "Common Ground" and "Infection" – the first encounter with the wraith Todd, and the failure of the wraith gene therapy, respectively – that my original character and pen name Ritha Guider began to exist. (I coined "Ritha" from the word "wraith", before discovering that Ritha is actually a real name, meaning "virtue.")

Days later, within my imagination, Todd spoke what I have titled The Five Myths. I immediately wrote them down. Richard Woolsey was present, listening with rapt attention, Colonel John Sheppard was doing likewise (while seeming slightly, and understandably, confused), and I saw Todd's alter-reality pacing around in a transparent cell. Rodney McKay remarked once again, "This one fancies himself a bit of a poet."

My regrets that there was no resolution to the problem of the wraith were diminished when I realized that an anatomically-harmonic, dual-component coding could allow both races to coexist. I had a long discussion with Drs. Beckett, McKay, and Zelenka about giving up on DNA alterations. Their minds were in mine, and mine was in theirs.

Surrounded by the mists and glows of a hive ship's bridge, I presented my theories to Todd.

Shadows rippled up his face as he paced the command center. "I have begun to believe again that there is no escape. Not this time. Eventually, even resourcefulness can be spent."

"Remind me what you learned from Colonel Sheppard," I said.

Todd glared, and turned away slowly. After a moment, he answered. "Elimination of our options one by one has led to this…unforeseen…possibility." He turned back. "Hmm. You did not disregard the questions I put to the Lanteans of Earth not long ago- 'If the wraith no longer feed, then what would we do? Who…would we be?' Very well, Ritha Guider. But there is nothing to be done unless you initiate the process. The wraith cannot save themselves. We have already tried." He held up his feeding hand. "What did you have in mind?"

"If I may, I shall tell it to you as a riddle. A different kind of ascension. Isn't it worth the effort, if only to see the sky again?"

"Hhh." Todd stared from the shadows. "Perhaps…I have…somewhat…higher expectationsss."

My mind was already weaving the storylines for the redemption of the wraith.

There is one more conflict to be resolved before the wraith and the humans of the Pegasus Galaxy can live in peace. Dialing sequence commencing. Chevron 8 is locked.

Episode 1: Origin

Location: Edowin System, Pegasus Galaxy

Earth Year: 2013

An average observer will easily conclude that the middle-aged man's mumbling and muttering was not meant for his colleagues to hear. In Dr. Radek Zelenka's complicated, personal world, technology (native or foreign), was perfectly capable of comprehending the speech of intelligent beings.

"Just try to be a little understanding," he whispered, eyes glazed.

A series of code glyphs scrambled around on the VDU, impertinently laughing in protest.

"It's not like you haven't done this before. I would very much like those frequencies snared and identified," Zelenka muttered, his nose mere inches away from the screen. Vertical bluish and white reflections scurried up the lenses of his glasses. He pressed two buttons on the tablet held securely against his forearm, spun his chair thirty degrees and began typing away on a key pad like a professional maniac.

Carefully written codes zipped up like a backwards waterfall. Zelenka pushed his glasses against the bridge of his nose. "All right, all right, have it your way, sour stew."

"You still got all your marbles, or did you finally swap brains with that thing?" drawled Colonel John Sheppard, approaching from the right. "Hmm…you look like you could use a hand."

"Ahh…no. No, thanks, I'm just peachy," Zelenka smiled. "You caught me at a bad time. Ah, you're going to need a tour. Remind me about it when this is over. Lots of temperamental phases for cold crystals right now. I have grand dreams about Zelenka-interface."

"And I'll let Rodney do the discouraging," Sheppard said, taking a seat, and wincing a little. "Besides, if you fool around with the Daedalus, he'll kill you. You haven't got any ideas about pathogen links, right? Not that I can't handle the responsibility while we're here…"

Zelenka shrugged and rubbed his hands together. "It's just that that beacon's taking her sweet old time to warm up to me. We're this…close…to connecting to Origin."

"So talk nicer to it."

"With the almighty 'pander to me' in recession?" Zelenka peered over his squarish glasses. "I've got to be absolutely sure we can control the power remotely. Internal startup, yes, it was fine. The core's alive, but it's still glowing instead of shining. Welcome to the dirty work you haven't had to hang around for." He turned back to the terminal. Coding rushed around and at last, the next sequence of signals was recognized and locked. The information conglomerated inside square, blue frames. Zelenka blinked.

"Yeah, I've missed out." Sheppard leaned on the control station. Fine, brownish dust still stuck to the rank bands on his jacket. "I can't say I'm sorry to be up here instead of down there."

Zelenka looked at him. "Well, I'd know if I was talking to a ghost."

"Two seconds sooner off the ground next time won't hurt. I can stand to take a day off from flying objects grazing my shoulders. How long's it been since you exercised?"

"If we trade places, you'll louse up my special methodology and hurt the mission," Zelenka said.

"And I don't think you'd have wanted to pet what I ran away from."

"I'm not such a little fool. Well… you know me, I'm terribly fond of Jurassic Park at times." Zelenka peered sideways over the rims of his glasses.

"Objects in mirror are closer than they appear…"

Zelenka leaned back. "It's still bothering me, the chance to dissect one of those creatures would have been…"

"The chance for me and the team to be dissected." Sheppard was still sore from his expedition on the planet whose moon the Iota beacon was situated over. Nearly losing his six team mates belonging to Atlantis Recons 8 and 9 while defending them from the double-edged teeth and twenty-five-foot body of a reptilian Zyglin had been a bit of a lurch. Zyglins were a previously unknown type of alien life-form in the Earth Lanteans' experience, and while the Ancients had dealt with such creatures in the past, Zyglins were a rare enough species that there was actually something to be learned by reading through an old database or two. The legends were few and far between, suggesting that perhaps Zyglins were supposed to be extinct.

When Dr. Rodney McKay learned that the creature had been blasted to ashes with the jumper artilleries, his squawk of protest was heard throughout an entire level of the space station he currently lived on.

Besides possessing high-sensory facial pits, Zyglins were territorial loners that could make the most out of topography, making them very difficult to find, much less capture. The Zyglin had torn Sheppard's P-90 blaster right off its straps and flung his staff weapon up into a cactus-like tree. Sheppard was still feeling incredibly stupid. Honestly, how many years had he been doing this stuff? He could kill an elite wraith and shoot at a Primary, blow up replicators and pilot through Stargates, but a Pegasusian dinosaur had smeared him. An estimated seventeen bullets had found their mark, merely angering the creature. Sheppard definitely enjoyed seeing the look on Commander Woolsey's face when he heard his report: "Sir, I tripped and fell, we ran screaming for the jumper, got cut off, and my blaster is Zyglin food. We won't talk about the staff weapon, except I'll mention it's a memorial."

Sheppard had asked McKay to favor him with a good reason why the science labs would want to play with a Zyglin. The creatures could blend into surroundings like demon chameleons. McKay jabbered that Zyglins were apparently attracted to semi-rare gems and Pegasusian compounds, many of which would mean a great deal to his teams, and the jumper may well have tempted the Zyglin. Why not keep a galaxian bloodhound? McKay added that despite the Zyglin's venomous teeth, it's bodily fluids -Sheppard had declined to ask exactly which ones - had rumored healing properties. McKay was inspired to dig further for traces of mythical references.

Sheppard assured him that the expeditions could do without a roaring reptilian diamond-hoarder. McKay had insisted that he should have come along on the beacon launch after all: "I would have handled it just fine! I know I wouldn't like it if a bunch of careless life-forms invaded my stomping grounds. Zyglins are far from being our worst enemies; your scanners should have told you it was around well before you gave it a reason to defend itself. Way to go, John!"

"Rodney, I'm impressed you've survived for as long as you have," Sheppard had retorted, trying to hide the fact that he was still too sore to sit down.

"You owe that to my incredible brain. And I'm impressed you still don't appreciate my invention for anti-burn butt shields is well worth patenting. Rodney and company got chased by "sting bombs" – yep, I named them - otherwise known as common bees times five with spiked tails and we were still able to sit for a week," McKay snipped. "You can scoot around, you can get your butt kicked, or you can purchase some of McKay's Anti-Bur..."

"I appreciate your concern for my well-being, but I'm not wearing those dumb things, Rodney. I have a good idea. We leave the Zyglins alone. We're not in the business. Maybe the Genii are … or were. Look into it. And find out whether or not Zyglins have invisibility glands and have only been encountered in the Saharas of the Edowin system. Maybe their life-force frequencies can evade Lantean scanners. That should keep your mind off of butt-shields. What's with you, lately? Well, since when aren't you freaking out?"

"Hm? Oh, it's just good old Henry," McKay said, busying himself with another tablet. "All it takes is him cutting it close to forgetting to take another V-2 injection; Origin hauls in another culling, and next thing I know he's salivating all over the place. Also, he seems to prefer feeding on me." McKay probed his collarbone a moment. "Don't come back at me for this; I got him hooked on rock bands and now I have to wave my hand in his stupid face to get him to unplug the headset every five minutes. I'm used to working around geek coworkers, but this one's a new experience for me."

"Kindred spirits are pretty rare, but they're out there," Sheppard said, unsympathetically.

"Ok, very funny." McKay set the tablet down and ran a hand over his receding hairline. "Course you don't care two pence I'm ready to crack from all these missions I've had to command from on high. Arthur."

"You managed to destroy an entire solar system, why should a culling timetable weaken your stamina? It's our lot right now," Sheppard said. "I'll see you on Origin in a few days. If I don't get waylaid by a visit to Taranis. In the meantime, you're the reason the beacons keep doing what they do, so, you just keep taking those amnesia pills and encouraging Henry in all things Rodney's-a fan of heavy metal and he's proud of it."

McKay spluttered, sighed, and shut down the transmission.

Sheppard snapped himself back to the present. He was to remain with the Daedalus until the Iota mission was complete, because of the possible moon-hopping that might be required of him and the teams, not to mention he wanted an in-person look at everything that had been going on while he had been busy coordinating expeditions during the first part of the beacon launch. AR-9 was recovering and preparing to explore another series of satellites over which the last few miniature beacons would be settled. Sheppard missed having AR-3 with him, if only to have seen what Evan Lorne might have thought of the Zyglin (and Rodney's response). The major was currently serving under Colonel Samantha Carter in the Sculatem System.

Zelenka set down a tablet and scurried over to the neighboring terminal. "Watch that beacon, another inter-system Christmas tree to bring us good cheer."

"I know things are often tense near a finish lines, but these aren't supposed to be rushed jobs, you know." Colonel Steven Caldwell shifted a little in his command chair. The dim bluish light glimmered on his bald head. "Iota's not going to jump into hyperspace."

"Wouldn't that be a sight worth our time and efforts. I still think we should be able to dial the gates from the beacons themselves."

Sheppard smiled. "If those things just keep talking to us about the wraith, I'm happy."

Readjusting his glasses and squinting, Zelenka put his face close to a terminal screen. "Someday, Iota might. You know what, the Phu beacon liked me better." He looked somewhat moon-eyed just then. "I appreciate it when it is in the nature of an object and/or higher being to light up on schedule."

Sheppard was not in the mood for a muttered treatise. One of Zelenka's more minor scientific obsessions was fireflies. It was as bad as Ronan and "fifty ways to kill a wraith without getting your hands dirty."

Zelenka moved closer to the tall, slender wraith seated at the head terminal. The insectoid alien's long, pale hair glimmered ominously, but Zelenka was rarely fazed by such things. "Bill, what do you think about a dialing device on Iota? Maybe after this is linked we can start "experimenting". Ohhh, lookee here, you're on stand-by. Having a little trouble?"

"Don't you ever relax?" the wraith murmured, his long, greenish fingers spread upon the control panel.

"Oh, relax, relax, this is me, relaxing." Tapping a stylus against one hand, Zelenka stared expectantly at the huge beacon diagram. The power levels in Iota's core were warming up for the second time that day, indicated by slowly rising blue bars and rapidly changing numerals. "When the unfortunate happens, it's usually right about now. I'm trying to stay ahead of its curve."

"Everything went smoothly the last three times. Patience..." Bill's teeth gently snapped together.

Zelenka muttered out the side of his mouth. "Oh he who dallied around the enzyme detectors just to prove to me you could move things along quicker, sooner, and better."

"I don't recall talking about it."

"Body language."

Bill's yellowish eyes scanned the readings. "Colonel Caldwell failed to warn me ahead of time that it takes great pains to ignore you."

There was no time for a retort. Zelenka's face lit up as the terminal screens did. "May miracles never cease and may blessings fall upon our dedicated teams, Colonel. Remote activation is successful, Iota is generating a full scanning sequence. We'll be snaring more wraith within the hour! Beautiful girl; so my type. Oh, I could just kiss it." Zelenka hugged his tablet and smiled around at the viewports.

"So long as it doesn't kiss back," Sheppard said drily.

With a little growl, Bill cut them off. "The S.E.D. is live, Colonel Caldwell. Unaffected wraith have not yet been detected. The trial transmissions conveyed to Origin and its return broadcast have reached us. Beacon shields are at full capacity."

"Not bad. Now you can relax." Sheppard smiled at Zelenka and stared out at the beacon hovering in the light of the greenish moon orbiting the desert-climate planet M71-223. The construction of the beacon had lasted weeks and the battlecruiser Daedalus had arrived on schedule with Zelenka's team, to see to final installations and power it up manually from within and without. That in itself had taken several hours.

Flying Puddle-Jumper "Escape", Sheppard had led a strike team once through the gate on the planet the day before, and once by descending from the Daedalus' hangars for a last inspection. There was nothing sentient worth their time besides the Zyglin. Perhaps it had been only one of many, so Sheppard had called off the explorations. The DHD was wind-worn but functional, and the atmosphere non-toxic. M71-223 had been culled dry as a bone and only a few decaying bunkers were discovered in the gate sector. No recently used gate addresses could be found for Atlantis to profit by. Stargates were, of course, the quickest way to reach the beacons, and the Iota gate was theirs.

"No wraith detected yet…" Zelenka muttered drily to Bill. "Because it's only completed seventeen point two six percent of its sweep. There, it's picked up your presence. Looks like your Vytrin levels are lowering. It's been two weeks already, hm?" He studied Bill peripherally. "Please don't judge. I'm considering that you'll have to get something off-menu next time you feed. I discovered that my saline levels have been a little high lately…just thought I'd mention it, out of respect for your tastes. You know?"

Bill's yellowish eyes swept back and forth as the information from the massive beacon transmitted its findings to the battlecruiser. "Whichever human I can get my hands on is next. That excludes your leaders."

Zelenka raised his eyebrows. "The Daedalus is not a vending machine." He watched Bill solemnly for a moment. "You have my permission to wipe that grin off your face. Hhh, why do I bother. I'm doomed to be the Pringles." He turned away to face Caldwell. "Sir, more good news from Lady Iota. She and the Phu segment are cojoined with Origin. We're receiving final confirmations from the center. Iota is a hundred percent operative. We can go home now." He stepped down off the terminal platform.

Some brief applause filled the bridge the way it had when the very first "solitary-enzyme detection" unit began to glow with positive energy within the Lantean system located so many lightyears away from where the Daedalus was now occupied.

Caldwell smiled, semi-dim, bluish light rippling on his uniform. "We're no longer waiting to get blasted or having to rig up a last-minute gadget to keep ourselves in this century."

"I didn't realize you had lingering regrets, sir," Sheppard said.

"Way you've been lately, I thought you had a few." And to the inaudible wish from all personnel, Caldwell added, "We should reach Origin nearly on schedule unless we run into an epidemic of wraith."

"Yes, sir," the navigations officer responded enthusiastically.

"Some of us will be glad to get away from that moon," Sheppard added.

"In my humble opinion, it was worth it. The cheese is real." Zelenka glanced at the harsh, greenish light.

Sheppard leaned back in his chair. "Contrary today." He sighed slowly. "Am I the only one who finds it hard to believe we're approaching the Zeta launch already? Todd's going to have his hands full when the next wraith faction discovers the web is permanently tied. Time flies when we're having fun."

Zelenka stopped short. "You realize that was almost a pun."

"So I'm a little rusty." Sheppard still had his gaze fixed on the beacon; Iota was shaped exactly like its five siblings located in other regions of the galaxy. A long, vertical shaft lined with lights rose to a slightly diamond-shaped core two hundred feet wide and comprised of multiple levels and accommodated a small crew. It was powered by control crystals and would be monitored by the external guardians assigned to it. Aqua lights glowed in sequences around the core.

Far to the right loomed a massive hive ship, one of the organic wraith battlecruisers. It was a member of the faction the New Alliance leaders had divvyed up to protect the beacons in coordination with the Taur'i DSC-304 battlecruisers.

"I'm not giving any thought right now to the three other beads we've got to install." Zelenka broke into muttering Czechoslovakian. "Tohle je nejdelsi doba, kterou jsem kdy stravil hranim launch party." He pursed his lips a bit morosely.

"Translation: you're overdue for a holiday," Sheppard said.

"Remember the photos of Narodni Technicke Muzeum I showed you?" Zelenka murmured.

"Sure. My version is still football nights in the old hometown. This place is always tedious until you get to see results like that," Sheppard murmured, nodding once toward the viewport.

"You didn't get to see the Phu Beacon start up," Zelenka grinned. "Or the Beta one. It was like assisting at a star's birth."

Sheppard nodded. "I was still investigating the tragedy in Taranis. I'm due to visit the place again after we get back to Origin. Still a lot of stuff we don't understand, with what happened."

"Mmm." Zelenka looked down.

"Nicely done, as always," Sheppard said. "Same to you, Bill." (Sheppard didn't often commend wraith.)

Bill turned and bowed slightly. His kind, even to the present day, were not easily flattered by human beings, but they did love being credited.

Transmissions from the beacons to the Origin Epicenter did not have to be carried, strengthened, or accelerated by any means because the subspace transmission tech allowed coded frequencies to be sent across vast distances. In addition, the beacons read energy surges from the open stargates on the planets. Fail-safes held data in case something should go wrong. Transmissions were also sent to what had been termed beads, as of beads on a string. They were miniature beacons, designated by Zelenka as X, Y, and Z, because they were "easy to memorize until we come up with more suitable terms". McKay called it "plain lazy" and said Zelenka wasn't "allowed to name anything ever again", just like Sheppard had told him during their long-ago argument about "gate-ships" versus "puddle-jumpers".

The so-called X was situated the closest to Iota. The beads could detect unaffected wraith feeding-enzyme and Vytrin readings the same way the main beacons could. Dr. McKay and several skilled Alliance wraith had collaborated on the designs and manufacture.

Zelenka folded his arms over his tablet. Familiar with the USS Daedalus, he felt quite at home despite leaving Atlantis for a while. McKay was probably foraging in peaceful acres and sunning himself on a random beach someplace on New Lantea instead of actually working nonstop at the Origin Epicenter like he said he was. Zelenka was determined to question him.

A comm channel was opened, and Caldwell sat up straighter as the hive ship's commander appeared on the transmission screen.

"Colonel Caldwell," the male wraith's hoarse voice growled. His long, pale hair contrasted sharply with a webby, indigo background.

Sheppard had not given this particular wraith one of his famous Earth-based names yet, but he knew he would have to eventually. Not all wraith were willing to reveal their own personal names to humans. For now, this commander was known as the Iota Defender. Super original.

"I'm sure you've deduced by now that all systems are go," Caldwell was saying. "If you don't require any assistance, we'll be leaving Iota in your capable hands. And its team has been replenished."

"We will take things from here. Well done."

"The Daedalus should show up again in a couple of weeks on patrol route. If it doesn't, you'll know why ahead of time."

"Indeed. Our commander did not disclose to us when he would return to Iota, but he is bringing along another 'culling' of V-1 humans and releasing those currently in recovery. Do you need to transfer anyone else while you are here?"

"No not this time, we'll unload our prizes when we get back to Origin."

"Very well. I will be in touch." The wraith commander nodded slightly and the screen went blank.

His vest buckles dully reflecting the glows, John Sheppard watched the beacon, the moon, and the hive ship sail gently out of view as the Daedalus departed orbit and rotated her huge bulk toward deep space. Once the coordinates were locked, Caldwell gave the go-ahead. Millions of pinpricks pulled out into thin lines, while a widening light where they converged zoomed straight for the viewport. Once out of hyperspace, the Daedalus would be near the center of the Beacon Star. Rendezvous had been scheduled days ahead of time and it would be the first time in a while Sheppard would get to spend time on Atlantis for longer than twenty-four hours. He slowly resumed his seat next to Zelenka's at the control panel, crossed one leg over the other, by way of a more comfortable position, and stared at the viewports that had beheld their fair share of laser fire and explosive scenery over the years.

Records of his personal logs following the year 2009 were locked away on Atlantis. And whilst the Daedalus is making its three day trek towards Origin, allow me to take you through his records of major events of the past three years:

Personal Log Entry by John Sheppard

Year: 2009

Location: Lantea System, Atlantis

"…I don't generally fantasize about alternate realities. They're weird. And d*mned confusing. I was once taken 48,000 years into the future of another reality and lemme tell you, it sucked. After the way things went a few days ago, it's no use hoping that this stuff hardly ever happens. Defending Earth from a super-hive is a cinch compared to what we went through after we left our home-planet for the second time. It's a wild story, so sit tight.

After we saved Earth, Atlantis hung around in Frisco Bay for about five weeks. And we got to hang around for the first time in five years. We kept the city cloaked obviously, and we also caught wind of a fair share of reports from the USGS about a tiny tsunami striking the coast and "an invisible obstruction making the Pacific wobble." The SGC scrambled to hinder investigations and we ended up sinking the city by degrees just to play it safe.

The IOA morphed into Stupid Town and requested to have our captive wraith ally Todd in its custody from day one for experimental purposes. Commander Woolsey informed it that such an exchange would "never be permitted, ever", and certain people tried to insist that in order to protect themselves further from the wraith after such a close call from a superhive, they needed a test subject for the expanse of their knowledge. They weren't likely to have such an opportunity ever again, etc. Understandable, but kind of pathetic. They hadn't really seen for themselves what they'd be up against. Then they ordered Woolsey to hand Todd over. Our commander insisted he would not comply, and we owe it to Colonel Carter's quick thinking…and negotiating talents…that Woolsey was not relieved of command. She also replayed for certain people a video of the wraith we used to call Steve (he was killed in one of our experimental tests by accident a few years ago) and "certain people" spent time rethinking what it would mean to bear the responsibility of handling an elite wraith, especially one as shrewd as Todd. The only way for them to cut him open on a surgical table in the first place would be by killing him. That was not an option.

The day Carl Strom wants to "expand his knowledge" on something for an actual reason that doesn't also include "to line our pockets", and messing around with things he doesn't understand, I'll put an Iratus bug on a leash and walk it down Main Street. Woolsey only gave Strom as much information as was necessary, while in under five seconds Carson and I reached the unanimous decision to put Todd in stasis, partly to keep him alive and out of reach of the IOA until we could return him to the Pegasus Galaxy, and secondly, to keep everyone from being turned into wraith chow. Todd saw things our way, but he took lots of subtle pains to remind me that he'd saved my planet and expected me to let him go free at the first opportunity. I was kind of tempted to leave him in suspense about whether or not we'd actually ever get back to Pegasus…

He didn't whine as much as when he last objected to being in custody under our terms. He did insist on being put in the stasis chamber attired in his original wraith armor. Carson told him, "Forget it." Todd's eye-roll was priceless, in Rodney's opinion. We didn't have to time fool around with stuff, Todd's energy needed to be preserved. We left him in his "ridiculous outfit." Carson hid his subspace transmitter in the science lab.

I didn't have an answer to Todd's question to me: "Is there going to be a next time?" But I thought about it; even while he was in stasis, it felt like he could still reach us. He's a d*mned orchestrator, that one, but the more he tries to stay ahead of me, the more I learn. I visited the pod a couple of times with Teyla because we felt like Todd still knew things we could profit by. She once said, "It's not over, John," and I told her, "Don't encourage him."

The Daedalus wasn't scheduled to return to the Pegasus Galaxy for at least a couple months because of the damage it sustained after what the Super Hive did to it. Once we were set to leave, we took advantage of a fine midnight, eased the City out of the Pacific, and took off for Pegasus with me operating the Chair this time. We had to wake Todd – again – (note the recurring theme here). I got thrown out of the Chair because the city was suddenly suspended between our own reality and the alter-reality that had given us cause to race back to Earth in the first place. We couldn't move Atlantis out of a slowly growing rift the size of a solar system, and besides the puzzle of trying to figure out what caused the glitch in hyperspace, a nasty attack from a fleet headed by another wraith super-hive was holding our attention. Never-ending saga.

Communications were established between Atlantis and the mothership, and who should we come face to face with on the transmission screen but yours truly, an alter-ego-version of Todd, demanding our surrender. We woke the "our-reality" Todd.

Woolsey's first words to him were: "We have a situation."

We explained what was going on (Todd definitely thought we were kidding), and then we introduced him to the other Todd. Despite the seriousness of the situation, I looked forward to seeing his reaction. Our-reality Todd was floored, meaning he asked me, "What parlor tricks have you conjured up against me, John Sheppard?" Once he got over it, he proceeded to try negotiating with his other-reality self. I thought that might go well for all of us.

It didn't.

Either out of an earnest desire to be helpful or because he wasn't thinking clearly, Woolsey informed Todd that he probably just didn't know himself well enough. I think Todd considered breaking Mr. Woolsey's head off, but he passed up the notion and asked if Woolsey had ever "thought to assess himself once in a while for a change", implying that our commander is unable to grasp the concept of tact.

Todd was still in his prison garb when we escorted him to the bridge, but at his request Beckett returned his original armor to him while we tried to figure out what we were supposed to do about getting back to the our-reality Pegasus. McKay and Zelenka pitched a few shameful fits uncovering the fact that our passage through hyperspace had glitched due to the signal rift from the alter-reality's interference in an open pocket in the space-time continuum. Some crappy anomaly had created a bigger rift. Basically, the signal punched a hole. The rift between realities is a black expanse, like a branch-off between two tubes. I didn't understand all the science stuff they threw at me, I just had to trust they knew what they were yammering about. There was, I admit, some talk about the Quantum Mirror, which was destroyed ages ago. The multiverse is extensive, and sometimes, like I said, things happen.

McKay suggested that if we initiated a massive detonation at the right moment after dialing a point in our Pegasus Galaxy, with someone employing the Chair, the rift could, in theory, be mended by the energy surge and we would be ricocheted back to where we belong. Something like that. Reminder; I'm not the science whiz here. Piercing the barrier between realities creates problems. Understatement of the year. There were a thousand trajectories to choose from. We needed to figure out if there were any physical locations and gates in our Pegasus Galaxy that did not exist in the other one, and that took some doing. We decided to board the other-Todd's super-hive and get the star charts and addresses from his gate system for comparison. Yep, that's right. He had a stargate. That was good news, in a way. If we could overload the gate, that might seal the rift just fine, like using a welding technique. One of our most dangerous plans to date.

McKay figured one way part of the plan might work was if our-reality Todd accompanied him and I to the mothership and talked to the other Todd in person as a diversionary tactic. The infiltration had to take place while the ships were stuck in the rift, otherwise there could be serious complications with space-time. Hypothetically, the glitch could expand further, or fluctuate and temporarily repair a part of itself and we'd be sucked into one or the other reality, so we had to move fast. Todd gave us a distrustful glare. Hey, we knew he already had the same ideas we did. With a bow to all of us (and with a sigh – ok, actually more like a growl to rival some others I've heard), he headed for the jumpers. "This was not my idea of a welcome-home party," he said. I told him, "You have high expectations, for a wraith."

The options were very simple: if Todd did nothing, we would all be blasted or crushed, lost to time and space, and the other- Todd might even make it to earth once he figured out how to lurch free of the glitch. Naturally our-reality Todd was willing to try anything to at least save his own neck. But it was unusual that he offered no objections or deals this time. He knew he didn't have the time or the option to bother with the customary bartering.

He took off with a fighter squadron and hijack teams which included Rodney and myself. We entered the mothership, found the gate, and ended up in a brutal hand-to-hand fight with the other Todd while Atlantis started neutralizing the hives and attempted to drive them closer to one another so Carson could fire a heck ton of drones at the right moment. We wished we could push them back into their reality. Simpler option. But if they knew Earth there, they might be able to reach and recognize our-Earth. We also couldn't be sure if the other-reality Todd had the same ideas we did about a detonation.

I thought of General O'Neill several times during that wacko mission. I honestly believed my time had come, and it sure wasn't on my list of coolest ways to die.

Via transmission, Woolsey watched the wraith commanders battle hand-to-hand. At first we thought Todd was going to feed on the other Todd, but our wraith ally didn't dare risk sucking energy from another reality's being, especially not from his own self. Rodney and I were trying to overload the gate in order to create the local repairs to the rift, and ended up stopping the other-Todd from stabbing our-Todd in the neck by blasting him. Other-Todd tried to stab me instead. Our-Todd promptly broke other-Todd's neck (he's good at that move), turned the mothership in the direction of the rift boundary it had breached, and we started the overload sequence after Zelenka told us he was ready for it. The hijack teams blasted their way off the hive with the wraith in pursuit and Major Lorne nearly lost his life. There were a lot of heroes that day.

Amazingly, Todd had not been affected by killing his other self because there was no splicing of life-lines. We were entirely independent because of the rift's containment field. We got back to Atlantis safe and sound well before the detonations took place. Zelenka had successfully dialed a point in Pegasus that somehow did not exist in the other reality and interfaced the information with our original destination coordinates while drawing all possible power from the ZPMs. Our original wormhole was still intact, but it had been compromised because that interfering signal from the other Earth had reached the other-Todd's hives as well. We fell out of alignment via a crossover, like two tubes merging, and we were in the branch area. Talk about ironic. The timing was absolutely critical in line with the gate's explosion and before the wormholes decayed. Zelenka hollered a bunch of times that the rate was incalculable. On his signal, Beckett gave the Chair everything he had and we were blown back into hyperspace like a charm. The warp shattered, and we found the City in the empty Doranda System of our own reality.

In short, everything worked out in the end, otherwise I wouldn't be here writing this. The shock wave from the alter-reality gate hadn't followed us into the galaxy because we were out of the rift before it happened. It created an extinction event, again, meaning the rift was fully sealed. Zelenka took a week off after that venture and binge-ate all things junk food and watched movies until his eyes were red. Rodney swears he'll never criticize Zelenka again. We'll see how long that lasts…

I have to admit it was kind of satisfying to see Todd actually sweating and staggering when we got back to Atlantis. It made up for a lot of his past transgressions I've had to put up with. He fell flat on the floor of the gate-room and we put him back in the stasis pod.

After we settled back on Lantea, we let him go. I even bothered to shake his hand (since he offered it), and he commented: "It would be wonderful, sometime, to just…have you all for dinner."

Oddly enough, we accepted. The fruit surplus he'd stolen from the Athosians wasn't bad. We found out about the thievery after we'd eaten, and I told him that we weren't cool with him stealing. Todd's response?

"I pulled it off a common tree, Sheppard. It offered no objections. In my opinion, neither should you."

I gave up, but definitely informed him that I have nothing in common with trees.

He told me my humorous side is branching out.

Ow.

2010
The Daedalus, Athosian System

"Things were pretty quiet for about four months during which we briefly settled back on the planet Old Lantea and began talking to the Athosians about a couple of relocation options in our territory around their newest home world. Stargate missions resumed as usual, and the peace was too good to last.

Todd suddenly showed up to inform us that he had been attacked and a large part of his own fleet was decimated. I don't know how he manages to get himself into so many jams. This time, things were a lot d*mn crazier than the stuff we're used to having shoved in our faces. A so-called mythical Primary- who's wraith name translates as "doom", or "Morrtra" in the wraith Ancient Todd translated for us- the ultimate and ancient queen of the wraith who's been whispered about for eons, was actually no myth. She materialized at last, intending to seize Atlantis, wipe out life forms in various systems to control the wraith and the food source, and rule Pegasus forever. As Woolsey put it, "There's one in every galaxy, isn't there? We simply can't escape it."

McKay jumped in with, "One ring to rule them all. Yup. Dude was right; go figure."

I gave him a seriously hard time about that, and told him Morrtra better not be carrying a stargate around with her. Turns out she used to, but we never found the d*mn thing. Another myth to hopefully unravel one day in the distant future. Dr. Jackson said he'd get back to us about that… I'm not holding my breath.

Todd had never spoken of this Morrtra to anyone before, and he mentioned that it was only in recent years he was assured her existence was not a folktale. He wouldn't tell us how he got his hands on the info. Said we'd hear the story someday. He does that. Holds out on us until the last second. Drive you crazy.

Todd had no reason to consider Morrtra would actually show her sorry face in the near future. Well, long story short, we went after her in order to save the human race, and Todd finally succeeded in tracking down her physical location. Naturally, he needed all of our cooperation to do it. But it wasn't just our help that gave the Alliance a window. A strange turn of events came along.

Larod Radim - who I hadn't seen since the time he was peering over Dr. Weir's shoulder on transmission screen while Kolya had me incarcerated and tied in a chair- showed up out of nowhere with critical information about two of Morrtra's oldest worshipers. The Genii - yup, those guys again – played a pretty unexpected role in the Morrtra War and we played all sorts of monopoly games with them just so Todd could meet Morrtra's worshipers and drag information out of them. That's a story for Teyla to tell. It involved a lot of dredging up of the past, the remnants of Michael Kenmore's dumb experiments, and a heck ton of stupidity from a race that thought nukes were the best way to win the Morrtra War. They couldn't possibly trace every single hive and the last thing we needed was for Morrtra to learn how to manufacture a nuke. One of the Genii factions actually joined Morrtra because she promised them freedom from Atlantis' influence and we had to cut the Genii off for good until we could figure out what was going on. We learned later that she turned some of her followers into worshipers. I thanked my lucky stars that Kolya isn't coming back. I think he would have had a crush on Morrtra. When I shared that with the team in the recreation office, Rodney choked and sprayed a mouthful of beer all over my jacket sleeve.

We cut off contact with Earth after sending an emergency request via the newly-repaired Daedalus for the Apollo and Horizon, and added a final message that we would be MIA until the Primary Morrtra was defeated and for the SGC not to bother trying to reach us. Pegasus was on lockdown indefinitely as far as we were concerned.

Teyla was permitted to examine Todd's mind, and confirmed that he was actually being truthful. Well, gee, surprise for our side.

We didn't want to risk Morrtra getting her hands on the Pegasus end of what was left of the useless gate bridge. So we knocked the gate out of alignment and brought it to the Aldeni System with us.

At the end of an aggravating search, a painful story that lasted ages (really just a few months), Atlantis departed its hiding place in Aldeni, (a system on the edge of the galaxy we never bothered with until Todd told us about it), and we headed for the Lantean system so we could nail Morrtra once and for all.

The reason we made a faster move than originally planned? We received word from Todd that he, through a series of carefully arranged transmission meetings via some of his subordinates, had succeeded in convincing the queen that he would give her the location of Earth if she agreed to meet us near Old Lantea under a flag of truce. She had agreed to hand over two ZPMs in exchange.

That wasn't all. Morrtra told Todd, "You thought to surprise me with your extensive well of knowledge. I already know the location of Earth. Do not think that the so-called gate bridge's end escaped my notice. I have confiscated another portal. If you meet me before I am gone, so be it. We will settle our differences in Lantea or not at all."

Todd convinced her he was on her side.

If ever there was a really great time for freaking out, it was then. The teams suited up and I ran for the Chair. Beckett and Teyla made a dash for the infirmary. "I already studied what Keller did last time you posed as a wraith queen, Ronan, lay off, she'll be fine. You knew this might have to happen, the tests went fine, Teyla's not going to die. You let go of me, you hear?"

Ronan gave up and bolted for the already loaded jumpers, and I had to shout at him this was no time for theatrics and last-minute maneuvers. Ronan had been briefed on the attack formations but he was still more interested in using the largest blaster he could get his hands on. "I'll shoot her right through her filthy face." I told him that was Todd's job and Ronan suggested he could just shoot Todd and take over the mission. I told him not a chance.

We need to pin Morrtra in place. Amidst the few hours of chaos and prep, Todd flew to our position with his newly-gathered fleet and made sure we understood the intricacies of the trap Morrtra was clearly setting for us. Woolsey promised to hold Todd personally responsible if things didn't go according to plan, he was so p*ssed off about him having taken such a risky move without consulting us first. Teyla confirmed that Todd had not revealed Earth's location to anyone. That wasn't too surprising. The knowledge is a good bargaining chip, and besides, he has no interest in exposing Earth to the wraith. He knows I'd blast his head off if he did.

And we aren't as dumb as Todd tricked Morrtra into thinking we are. The city emerged from hyperspace well out of her range, and Todd got permission to board her mothership after claiming he would - and I quote- "…accompany you to Earth, leaving Atlantis helpless. Do not concern yourself. When I transmit the coordinates from the other galaxy, I will return and secure the City. Shall I bring along some of the most durable human samples I have access to, for you?"

He lived up to his lying promises to the queen by culling me, Ronan, McKay, and the first of our strike teams on my command, and boarded the mothership under heavy guard in accordance with Morrtra's wishes. See, were supposed to be her prize possessions. Teyla mind-shot the escorts, Todd let us out, and McKay bolted for the dial device so he could disable it.

Ronan and I rechecked our supply of C-4 and quietly debated about which guy carried more than the other did. The plan was for Todd to keep the queen occupied while we deposited explosives inside the throne room, in crevices, definitely in some egg chambers, the throne itself, and around the control stalks, run for our lives, hit the exit seal, and blow Morrtra to pieces. While Todd ripped up disgusting cocoon matter to plastic-wrap Ronan and I for presentation, Woolsey confronted Morrtra herself on audio transmission: "How nice to finally meet you, your Highness. I apologize for the informalities. I'm sure you understand our precautions."

"I am your death, human. Tell me of your journey from your green homeworld and I might spare the city."

"You would spare the city anyway since you intend to seize it for yourself after we are dead. You don't really know the location of Earth. If you did, you'd have made the jump by now. You are waiting to pierce unwary minds for the information. I must commend you, the trap was well baited, your Highness, and we understand that was your only way to call Atlantis from the depths of space and out into the open. Surely you know Aldeni does not possess any oceans on its few planets. You can forget signaling to your lurking comrades. This warning shall be given once and only once. Earth is no longer available. Why do you think that we, the select survivors, have learned to adapt to the life on the city Atlantis?"

"You do not mean to inform me that your homeworld is destroyed?"

That was the reaction Woolsey was hoping for. "Many things have happened since before you awakened. If you agree to remain in your native feeding grounds, I will leave your ancient territories uninvaded. Attack the city, and you will face never-ending pursuit, a pursuit such as you have never experienced since the Ancients fell silent."

She retorted, still refusing to reveal her face. "I am speaking with ignorance personified! I have not come here to play games with the food source; but it seems a worthwhile amusement to take advantage of before I remove you, a mere morsel, from my spotless path to the Empire that is rightfully mine. Foolish one!"

"Oh, and by the way…this is not a game."

"How unfortunate. I sense you are in control of a pawn I did not anticipate. You were well deceived into thinking you could trust him. And now, watch him betray you as he betrays all." And she cut contact. Her fleet of nineteen hives separated itself by degrees and part of it moved away from the hiveship to attack Atlantis, which is again, exactly what Woolsey wanted. Since he anticipated that she may be trying to lure the city away from the superhive itself by such a means, he ordered Atlantis to stand its ground and continue jamming signals. Carson readied himself in the Chair and the Apollo hovered nearby. Woolsey ordered Colonel Caldwell to stand ready for Morrtra's backup fleet to assault it at any given moment, by allowing the Daedalus to feign a hull failure.

Teyla was in command of one of Todd's hives under the protection of his second-in-command, partly because we insisted she refrain from meeting Morrtra in person. Teyla was a thousand percent needed to shield Todd's mind from Morrtra's own and provide telepathic distractions. Naturally, she insisted on accompanying us (in other words, she argued until I was blue in the face) but she did what she had to do just fine from the neighboring hive. We needed an isolated Primary to challenge Morrtra and pose as a traitor against Todd.

For a male wraith, Todd's mental powers are pretty potent. It was as good a chance as we were going to get.

McKay was really excited by the ZPM readings. Our wraith teams entered the superhive bridge disguised as Morrtra sympathizers, lured out a large part of the upper-level crew, and kept McKay's guys from being attacked from the outside while Todd, Ronan, and I made our way to the secured throne room. We didn't have a team accompany us because Morrtra would know, and sense our intent. We knew she already might, but it wasn't worth backing out. If she was headed for Earth, we needed to be there.

Around that time is where we finally laid eyes on Morrtra. She showed up for a little bit on a bunch of transmission walls and watched Todd hustling us through the corridors. Ronan groused and complained the entire d*mn time, like any prisoner would…and because he's Ronan.

Rodney told me later that he stared at Morrtra in the secondary command center for a full thirty seconds. "Somebody got stuck in a blender."

Who did he expect to see, a wraith version of Celine Dion? Anyhow, McKay's wraith team posed as starving victims of the city so they could break into the cocoons and free human captives, leading them into the jumpers for transfer to Atlantis. McKay left the ZPMs alone at first. They had been placed in very odd positions in the central egg chamber, just ready to detach and pick up. He didn't believe for an instant that there wasn't a failsafe. He was right. Had he handled them right away, he would have been killed. The whole place was rigged. Morrtra was cloning humans. Deformed-looking corpses, hardly fully human, but they definitely weren't wraith. McKay said it was a colossal facility and was starting to rot because of the failed experiments.

The throne room was one of the largest and webbiest chambers I have ever walked through, the walls covered in rotting cocoons, and genetic material all over what was supposed to be the throne. Those bugs are really garbage home-decorators. Ronan said the place smelled older than any hive he'd ever encountered. Not surprising. In his words, "the stench of another age."

We got only a few life readings from the webbing above and sent McKay the info. Todd had already warned us that the queen may well be hiding in one of the local food-source cocoons. He suspected she left an artificial presence in the biotech that was meant to fool him into thinking she was in the other command center at the same time. The message was so strong he felt inclined to head in another direction. Teyla insisted that the queen was definitely in the throne room. So, Todd dragged Ronan and I by the collars, and called out mentally to the queen. I kept my finger on the trigger of my weapon. Ronan and I peeked through our webbing disguise, staggered weakly for effect, and kept our gazes trained around at the walls, searching for the best place to place the first of the explosives. We were left standing near the entrance. Ronan got ready to be as trigger-happy as he'd ever been. Once we had the queen trapped, we would seal the exit and blow ourselves up with her if necessary.

Todd walked through the mist, looking around leisurely like he owned the place. "I have brought them. The strongest humans ever fed upon in my experience. These two know Earth very well, my queen, and would be willing to put up with a great deal to keep it out of your reach. Would you care to question them about their homeworld? I believe you will find it most refreshing. There is still much about them I do not know, that perhaps…you can discover."

Well, guess where Morrtra was? That d*mn queen was crawling around on the ceiling like a long-limbed, shreddy bat. Glowing eyes and a supine body, biceps to shame Ronan's, and stringy black hair, flitting in and out of the shadows, the works.

I wish we'd looked up a lot sooner. Everything went dark, and Ronan, Todd, and I found ourselves plastered all over the ground. I thought I felt something break. Todd was face down, and Ronan was spread-eagled face-up. What Ronan managed to squeak out was barely audible: "You gotta be kidding me..."

It took all my strength to roll over and pump Morrtra full of lead just as she tried to peel Todd off the floor. There was that nasty white mist everywhere. Ronan dragged me out of harm's way as Morrtra lunged. Todd planted his hands on the ground, pivoted to trip her, and the queen vaulted over a control panel. Acrobatic bastard.

You know those wraith that just won't die? We anticipated that, but this female was way d*mned trashier than what we'd planned on handling. I yelled at Todd that he was an absolute idiot to think he could take her on by himself. He ripped the C-4 from his belt, dropped it behind a control panel, and whirled to find Morrtra at his throat. He shouted back something along the lines of "a great deal I did not know" right before he got his face slammed into the wall and hive fluid gushed all over the place.

Todd yanked himself out of the wall and fell backwards. Morrtra planted one of her feet on his neck. "Attempt to eliminate me, I will pierce his throat," she hissed, just as I was about to set a detonator. Great, she knew he was an ally of ours. Ronan snarled through the cocoon webbing, and I sent Rodney the signal to have his wraith gang converge on our position. They were supposed to keep their minds open under Teyla's dominance so Morrtra would suspect them of being attracted males. But I didn't think it was going to be enough.

Morrtra grabbed Todd's face with her fingernails and started elaborating in that gross tone of voice she had, a hundred off-key harp strings. "I shall finally and effectively dismantle this so-called Alliance. Not even your potential will deter me from taking your life the next time I feed. Which will be as soon as I have extricated your incredibly…deep…knowledge."

I'll explain one of the tricky but key aspects of what happened next. The touch of a female wraith's mind is craved by a male wraith, so Morrtra was very surprised by how hard Todd was fighting her. Teyla was giving him a major boost, and Morrtra was fighting to get him talk about Earth. Compared with Morrtra, Todd's not exactly old. To our surprise, she released him. Apparently his energy signatures are – and I quote her - "Sameness. Sameness among the first of our race, and sameness of their first feeding." Who knew she could talk in riddles? We still aren't sure what she was referring to. Maybe I like it better that way… and maybe not.

Todd answered her: "I fail to see the reason for this ludicrous treatment of an equal. Didn't I promise you Earth?" He was trembling from the wraith fear she induced, but he folded his hands on his stomach like he was casual about the whole thing.

"Our destinies fluctuate like the wandering lights of this galaxy," Morrtra said. "What you thought you were gaining was free passage into my lairs. The location of Earth will come from one of these foolish humans you have brought to me. You have outlived your usefulness. You would have lead me, not to Earth, but to my death." The reptilian queen slowly leaned close until her teeth were next to Todd's right ear, and his hair moved as her breath fell upon it. "No Primary witnessed your origins."

A low growl started in Todd's throat and he slammed his forehead against hers, knocking her face aside. "If ever I want the truth, I swear I will never need to ask for it! You are your own demise, Morrtra. How…unbecoming.' Todd gave a short bark of a laugh as Morrtra's foot pressed harder on his neck, and her fingernail sliced the side of his face.

"You speak of shame? Your name reeks of it."

"You mistake my meaning in more ways than one," Todd said through his teeth. "Hhhh. I see you have taken to consuming…the Iratus bugs themselves…"

"How dare you speak of our life as the food source does? You have spent much quality time with them, I see."

Todd laughed softly. "And you are cloning more humans than I thought was possible, even for you. Three active zero point modules in your possession, hm? Impressive. You cannot hide forever. By the wayyy, you didn't need to go to all that trouble appropriating a space portal. The portal you used to possess is still active, I am sure of it. Since you are going to do away with me anyhow, I dare ask: where did you hide it?"

"That is for no wraith to know!"

Morrtra then mentioned that Ronan and I would make great specimens for her cloning facility and that's why she wasn't going to feed on us just yet. Will miracles never cease. Ronan spat at her and I held him back. We needed to let Morrtra finish talking. Ronan and I were crouched back against a damp wall, still minutely easing pack of C-4 out of our packs, but we still couldn't set the timers. Morrtra had our blasters. Apparently, she liked me best of the lot. Not cool.

With a great effort born of the wraith training, Teyla finally managed to distract and intrigue Morrtra with several false propositions – one of them being she would hand Atlantis over without shields in exchange for only our lives and gaining subordinate power, and another being that she would share the secrets of the Hoffan drug and its antidote in exchange for the human cloning secrets and the destruction of Todd's own fleet. Morrtra snapped out, "A human female who possesses our power. Greetings, you who mean "empress-seed". You claim kinship with our kind; the old-ones overstepped their bounds many times. Your fellow men will suffer what they earned, what was never repaid."

I wasn't sure if Torren was going to see his mother again. Teyla took advantage of the relaxed mindset and managed to fully possess Morrtra for about thirty seconds, long enough for Todd to heave the queen aside and kick the blasters out of her hands.

Morrtra gained back some of her consciousness, but by then Todd had regained his staff weapons. Ronan set one of the detonators.

Our last hope was that, since Morrtra was so old, she would be really enticed by Teyla. I mean, come on now, how dare a human being stand up against a Primary, much less against Morrtra? How dare a human try to possess her? How dare a human queen propose to rule alongside Morrtra and become her apprentice in exchange for Atlantis? The notion of the Attero device being reactivated? The notion of cloning a second Morrtra to rule another fifty thousand years if she didn't comply? Morrtra's jealousy levels hit a thousand plus and she forgot all about Todd.

Time was running; twenty-six hives, seven to Morrtra's nineteen, were practically melting each other's artilleries and Caldwell had his hands full. The Apollo rammed its way through two hives at the same time, creating mega-confusion and allowing Caldwell to reorient the Daedalus.

Having successfully deactivated the dial device, Rodney stabbed the command centers of the superhive with a potent, altered version of the Hoffan drug, neutralizing a ton of weaponry controls. He, Lorne, and the teams killed like forty elite wraith in the command center…I can't resist adding that Rodney of course did his share of yelping and scrambling. He hates me for writing that down.

The Alliance fleet attempted to neutralize some of Morrtra's hives to use against her. It didn't exactly work out and they abandoned the idea. Carson went all Captain America and fired enough drones to take out four hives at once. The mothership felt the blast.

"Nice," I thought, "We could end up dying with this garbage female; that's not how I planned to go down."

Besides being the ugliest thing I ever saw in my life, Morrtra kind of resembled a serpent-bug, with a giant Iratus-shaped helmet that clung to the back of her head like a shield. We found out soon enough that she did more than just feed. She had this really bad habit of biting. While Teyla nailed Morrtra's brain, Ronan and I played bait, and Todd whirled his staff weapons against Morrtra's own. Hers were covered in bio-spikes. Out of the blue, she bashed him in the head. I threw myself in the way, got about fifteen bullets into her gut, and she sank her teeth into my chest. No pain I have ever experienced before compares to what that felt like. Ronan fired his blaster, missed, and tried to shove a grenade in her face. She ripped into his arms, throwing him on top of me. Nice going. Now I know what it feels like to be squashed by a grizzly bear. The grenade rolled across the floor and was lost in the mist.

Todd yanked the spikes out of his armor. Teyla's best efforts at partially possessing Morrtra gave him his last window, and that's when he resorted to weaponless violence with his hands locked around Morrtra's head.

She twisted and tried to bite her way into the back of his head. Teyla's second, complete possession of Morrtra, albeit it lasted mere seconds, escalated. Todd clawed his way up the cocoon wall. The queen screamed at Teyla, yanked Todd back down, and he used the momentum to vault backwards and snare her by the side of the neck. I'd never supposed his teeth were just decorations... he ripped her throat open and backhanded her.

Here's where things took a weirder turn. Todd forced Teyla to let go, and fed on Morrtra, but - and I quote him - his "disgust at her depravity" made him lose his grip. (That was just weird, I didn't really think wraith are aware of what "depravity" is.) I dimly made out the queen trying to stab his face with her fifteen inch dagger.

I also recall whispering to Ronan that we weren't going to make it.

He whispered back, "I'm taking her with me", and stealthily got to his feet, his strength failing fast.

Todd worked Morrtra back down into the mist, and then the knife was buried, the point extending well through his shoulder blade.

I never saw it coming. Ronan lunged, whirling, whacking at Morrtra's brainstem and feeding arm with his sword some of the wraith-kin discovered in the Athosian ruins. He hacked like a madman, like she was made of rocks (which she probably was). Ronan's been lugging that sword around ever since it was loaned to him by Halling.

All I could do was think to myself, "That has to kill her…"

Ronan collapsed sideways on Morrtra's remains and passed out from the strain he had just undergone as well as from the poison in his system. Todd was staring as he realized Ronan's strength had just smashed up the queen…like a bug...

Let's just say, there were a lot of pieces. I didn't need to see any of it.

Todd choked out, "So superbly executed…for a runner…" He laughed as he wrenched the knife free. "Ahhhgg! John Shepparrrr-D…your kind…is more like wraith…than you know."

I told him to just shut the h*ll up, I was in so much pain. Todd dropped the knife, and calmly got to his feet like an experienced lion, his teeth all black with blood…and then he grabbed at his own hand, as if he hated the fact that Morrtra's blood was on it. He turned, and slammed a handprint on the wall before approaching me. I asked him if he was having fun? He gave me a vicious, yet kinda resigned, "Don't ask stupid questions, Shepparrr-D!" He tried to restore me, but he was too weak. He pulled Ronan off of Morrtra and then I passed out.

I get that Todd was still in the throes of battle adrenaline and that Morrtra tasted as bad as she looked. I'm guessing he was in some sort of pain unique to a wraith…but why, and why to such an extent? No one has ever been able to worm that secret out of him. Not even Woolsey's subtle bribery worked. He oughta know better by now. Hey, Todd prefers to keep making us nervous. What would he ever do without that calling card?

Teyla sent her wraith troops into the throne room and they restored me, Ronan, and Todd. It was kind of weird seeing a wraith giving another wraith his life back.

Honestly, I thought Ronan's method was a great way to send Morrtra off. I killed my first wraith, a keeper, with a blade. "A Sateden wielding an Athosian sword against a Wraith Queen…who would have thunk…kinda like a prophecy to what the years have brought to us." (McKay said that. Definitely wasn't me.)

So ended the Primary and ever since then Ronan feels repaid in a way for everything the wraith did to him and to Sateda. The bite marks on our arms and hands obviously vanished when we were restored. Morrtra's teeth were venomous. But despite the gift of life, I swear I can feel scars on my chest even though there aren't any showing. Ronan says the same thing about his arms sometimes. It's weird. Some things just leave a big impression.

We got back to the city and Atlantis advanced on the superhive as the Alliance darts made good their escape with culled humans. Teyla and Caldwell and the Apollo finished off the rest of Morrtra's fleet. Todd lost three of his hives, but McKay's and Lorne's teams rescued nearly five hundred human captives. First time they collaborated with wraith like that. Lorne said, "I thought I'd gotten used to things by now. Still much we don't know… Oh crap, now I'm talking like the bugman."

Rodney never ended up needing to start his own rigged destruct sequence; he bolted for the hangars with his wraith teams and flung himself into a jumper with the ZPMs clutched to his chest. The hive was breaking apart from the amplified Hoffan drug as Ronan and I fled with our own wraith comrades. Todd and Aeden shoved us into the Escape jumper and I caught sight of the stargate as we made it out into open space. Aeden piloted the jumper into a steep dive to avoid the onslaught as the superhive began to shred apart and cascade toward us. I've never been such a dedicated copilot as I was then. Ronan and Todd both looked uncharacteristically thrilled, and both were back-seat driving. The hive cracked at last with a thunder I will never forget. Carson shot the d*mn thing into a fireball.

When Ronan and I staggered out of the jumper into the Lantean command center, McKay was there doing a rain dance, holding up the rescued ZPMs like batons.

Now, I recently recalled that, following one of their telepathic confrontations, Morrtra spat a wraith word at Todd for us to hear: "Phroditerzzo." Really not normal for a wraith to verbally communicate in their Ancient derivative. The translation is "traitor", McKay says. According to Teyla, Morrtra didn't know Todd at all, but it's clear the queen learned something interesting about his identity. We bugged him about it like thirteen odd times until he yelled at us.

Ronan couldn't have cared less about Morrtra's strange words except for the fact that he also strongly feels there's something Todd's hiding that "we'll regret not knowing about until it's too late, as always". He semi-politely informed Todd that if he didn't spill his guts to us, he'd do it for him in a sparring match.

Woolsey ordered Ronan to lay off. "I admit, I'm not at all surprised. You are, to be sure, the slayer of the Ancient Morrtra and we do not under-appreciate that. To be frank, you ought to know better by now than to provoke a wraith, especially Todd. We don't need to find a sun-dried version of you a week from now; Atlantis will have lost one of the runners' greatest hopes for solidarity and the Alliance may well turn sour from the top down. Todd's pride matches your own, Ronan, as much as that probably stings you to hear it; his desire to go out in a blaze of glory if and when things get bad enough has already reared its head twice in our history with him."

Teyla told me something also while recovering from her prosthetic surgical removal. "John, he's Aldenian."

All I could do was shrug and say I wished that meant something to me. She has no ideas besides the fact that the Aldeni system was Morrtra's oldest backdoor. Teyla got brain-slammed multiple times and ended up passing out right around when Ronan did. Maybe she has the knowledge of what we still don't know, but hasn't figured it out yet. She's considered that. McKay blurted out that Kelno'reem might help, and I told him I'd smack his head if he gave us one more lame suggestion; no Jaffa humor allowed in this galaxy. Ever.

2010, During the Morrtra War

Atlantis

Ritha Guider, one of our youngest and very accomplished med-scientists, has low CIA ranking but she responded positively to ATA. So far, the effects aren't wearing off. She hasn't needed to awaken any tech, and is known for feeling more of a connection to wraith biotech than the Lantean type. She was a self-taught biologist back on Earth. Teyla and Beckett assured us she is not wraith-kin. That was something we sort of considered after Ritha started interacting with biotech like she owned it, and Rodney squawked at us that a Milky Way Galaxy human isn't likely to be an heir of those Ancient experiments. Carson assured him we were only kidding.

We're still in the middle of this skirmish with Morrtra's leftover forces. Out of the blue, back before we started butting heads with Morrtra, Ritha proposed the fundamentals for a brand-new wraith-altering formula. It's not a retrovirus this time, nor is it gene therapy. Keller finally gave up on the gene therapy, and started accompanying Rodney on missions as lead medical assistant to mass immigrations of planetary inhabitants, especially those affected by Morrtra. She still works in the field, but returns to Atlantis on occasion. Carson is now back where he used to be. Or I should say, where he belongs.

When Ritha gave Woolsey an update on her experiments, he freaked (ok, he didn't actually do it the way Rodney does) and ordered her to work on the information privately until the war was over. In fact, he wouldn't even allow her to leave the city on missions with Rodney. There was no way we were risking a leak of her intel with the Genii once again interacting with us and while there were so many Morrtra infiltrators within the shattered Alliance. Todd was still kinda unpredictable, especially while searching for Morrtra. That odd chance he would try and use the queen for his own purposes…Woolsey was like cold iron the entire time. But Ritha kept on working. She needed test subjects, but we couldn't risk that with the wraith. Todd knew something about the Vytrin's purpose although he had no access to the coding details.

This new material of Ritha's design is supposedly going to allow humans to survive the feeding process while still giving the wraith what they need to live. Do I believe it can work? Maybe… Do I hope it will? Obviously. Has it been successful yet? Nope. To be honest, it seems weird to consider that a breakthrough like that could actually happen.

Besides coding the Vytrin, Ritha also learns a lot of bantos sparring. Some say she's a little eccentric. Definitely doesn't matter to me whether or not she is.

It never once crossed my mind that a breakthrough so huge would eventually come out of her long studies of the wraith. Keller's mentioned that Ritha is one of those detail-oriented scientists that can't resist questioning everything, even the impossible. It sort of aggravates Rodney. Like he once said during a long conversation: "That's it, I'm giving Jeannie a call. Come on, Ritha, you can't force a square circle to exist."

She just looked at him. "Rodney, that's because you aren't thinking outside the square. Your sister would say the same thing just to watch you squirm."

McKay forgot to have a beer during break hour and griped to me instead. "She could probably prove to me that seventeen plus two is ninety, d*mmit."

Ritha has this fixation with the wraiths' gift of life ability being the key to an alteration in anatomical interactions. Beckett informed us recently that she's really onto something. In order for the alterations to succeed, both races have to work together. I want to believe that. It's still kind of against my instincts, but anything is better than having to fight the wraith for the rest of our natural lives. Besides, I hate it when they win.

Beckett and Ritha are currently writing a base code they termed Vytrin. They're keeping Keller informed, and she's wanting to come around at some point to watch the demonstrations. She's working on disease overrides, and lived underground with Athosians on P8L-223 for a time in order to escape Morrtra's detection. Things might have been a disaster if she had fallen into the wrong hands. Her husband nearly went insane until the rescue mission; Rodney's been through a lot in the past several years. The Origin Epicenter has given him and Jen a real breather.

Late 2012 - Post Morrtra-War

Atlantis

Wow, have we been going to town. Let me rephrase that. I'm not sure who's having a better time: us or the wraith? Well, there's pros and cons for each side. As adaptable as I can be in a lot of cases, getting used to everything that's going on is still a thing. The results of the Vytrin have been so successful that Woolsey arranged to have it transported in an organized fashion throughout the Allied territories. It has to be spread strategically in order to avoid misinformation. The Alliance factions are seeing to it that the wraith know while we are no longer attempting to destroy them, and giving them a chance to coexist with us, that does not give the wraith leave to attack and eat us. One false move, and we will retaliate.

Back to this Vytrin material that not only prevents cellular breakdown but extends the feeding process to a gentle two minutes. One version of it is for us fortunate humans, the other part is for the wraith; Caldwell and I are overseeing the distribution of V-1. Woolsey and Todd came up with a beacon system last year once the Vytrin started looking promising, and we worked it out in the shape of a somewhat lop-sided, hexagonal star, conjoining the Lantean, Asuran, Edowin, Doranda, Athosian, and M2S-445 systems. The beacons are powered by crystal-interface taken from other parts of the city. Signals also reach the Lantean towers.

The beacons been designated Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Iota, Phu, and Zeta. These points, four of them placed near significant planets with stargates, are joined by chains of other beacons; Zelenka likes calling them beads and the name stuck. Their purpose is to mark and track the progress of the wraith virus (sorry, I keep calling it a virus, it's really not that at all) and to alert Atlantis if any unaffected wraith and ships come within a certain distance of the Points. In the case of the Asuran and Doranda systems, which were pretty much destroyed by stupidity and error, there are no available gates, but the presence of deep space beacons are very important in those regions since the systems make good hide-outs. Not all wraith are cool with never again inflicting feeding-pain and death on humans. Even if they did take the Vytrin, it wears off after a couple/few weeks and another injection is necessary. Commander Woolsey's written treaty is starting to weigh a few extra ounces.

The segments that create the six inner web strands of the beacon system are joined at a common point, Origin, a space center designed by McKay and constructed in the orbit of the New Lantea planet that we traveled to back in 2007 while hiding from the Asurans.

The SGC released to us another DSC battlecruiser designated the Cerberus, in order to assist with the construction and defense of the beacon network, and to deal with unaffected wraith, worshipers, and scads of other crazies. And yes, it's got a connected ZPM. The Cerberus is under Colonel Carter's command until the third and long-awaited cruiser, the USS George Hammond, is completed. Then she'll be transferred.

We put the other two ZPMs Rodney rescued from Morrtra's mothership to use; one is on Atlantis for safekeeping, and the third ZPM is being used by Todd to produce Vytrin II more quickly. Under our watchful eye.

The IOA was grudgingly accepting of Woolsey's cryptic "not to sound cliché, but" update about the races working together for the good of the whole galaxy. He wisely withheld a comment that the IOA can never hope to control the fates of two entire galaxies; he doesn't need to lose his position of command right now. Funding for part of the Vytrin program was less of a problem to discuss with them than I thought it would be because the Vytrin is a significant way to protect Earth. Besides, Carter has a much higher advisory role. She "accidentally" got in the way of certain people. Gave Woolsey a reason to smile more.

Strom is personally p*ssed off by Mr. Woolsey since the commander still refuses to allow him possession of altered wraith for research purposes. Todd inferred that an argument of such a nature was going on because his intuition is so d*mned keen. He had himself another laugh, albeit dark and dangerous: "Your IOA supervisors would most certainly find themselves products of experimentation, Mr. Woolsey…I'm afraid the drastic improvement of their appearances would be an unavoidable side-effect."

Woolsey told Strom, "I always aim to be perfectly honest with you, and so shall I be, once again: we're the ones protecting you."

It wasn't long after my promotion from Lieutenant Colonel to Colonel that the Alliance factions were briefed on the Vytrin operations since it had finally proven successful in the fluid of two hive ships and demonstrated on multiple wraith over time without a problem. The New Alliance treaty was established and read aloud over comm systems by Commander Woolsey the day that Atlantis willingly hovered amidst a fleet of hive motherships. It began, "Today is an historic day…"

Todd immediately shouldered the task of injecting the hives. One after another, the wraith, true to their nature, are spreading the Vytrin like wildfire. Part of our mutual agreement is that altered wraith will never feed on anyone who is unaffected by Vytrin 1.

The first humans to publicly feed wraith were Teyla and myself. I only agreed to being fed on again because I figured it would have to happen eventually and because, well, I had to set the example for a lot of people and show them there was nothing to be afraid of. Ever since then, I've hardly ever allowed a wraith to feed on me. I'm just not a fan of the process. It's not that it hurts too much, but it's weird. And it takes time for a human to "recharge" afterwards. Ritha had a long talk with me once about another energizing solution, but to this day, she and Beckett are unsuccessful at coming up with one. They've already leaped the boundaries of feeding-physiology, and further alterations have to wait for now because of the enormous physical and cultural changes that the wraith are undergoing. Not all wraith are accepting of the fact that they will no longer have the need to cull. It's part of why we established the network. The wraith outside the Alliance have support from the V-2 wraith. How each wraith and faction will react to the idea of Vytrin-dependance is sketchy, the Alliance has to take things one step at a time. The hardest part is going to be keeping the information out of the hands of the Genii. They're still pirates. The treaty excludes them from being wraith energizers, but they have submitted to our protection. We don't want V-1 in their hands. The whole notion of food, worshipers, etc. is being changed, and the Genii seem pretty content to go back to their own ways as long as the wraith don't come inside their territorial boundaries.

Larod Radim has risen to a position with as much authority as Kolya had, and while we are still keeping an eye on him, he has been a very agreeable ally. When he met Todd during the treaty assembly, he recognized him as "Kolya's wraith" but didn't say a word. We were glad for that. I think he just didn't talk because Todd was staring him down, like, "I dare you to shame me with the past."

A whole new system of keepers is slowly being established. The wraith retreat into their stasis pods before the hives are injected, and while a hive is asleep for the usual few hours it takes for the process to complete itself, another hive stands watch. The Vytrin wears down every few weeks. Wraith don't need sleep, but perhaps the habitual, survival-hibernation will be trained out of them…sometime in the next century.

The emergence of the Daedalus from hyperspace calls us and John Sheppard back to three days after its departure from the Edowin system. There had been a couple stops along the way so Zelenka could check out beacons "Y and Z" and Sheppard had taken the teams down to the moons to look over the terrain again. Woolsey was looking to establish colonies near the beads.

A welcome light through the viewports, Origin shone in the distance, looking like an irregular moon in permanent, love-struck pursuit of the natural satellite that orbited New Lantea. It was a spectacularly-built station and the elegant design seemed to make up for the loss of the Midway that McKay had once so lovingly constructed. Because of the wraith collaboration, the station's hallucinogenic quality was reminiscent of a vertical Iratus bug.

The transmission screen glowed. Rodney McKay appeared, his black t-shirt and its rank colors spotless and non-wrinkled. "Colonel Caldwell, good to see you. I got the memo, we launched checkpoints for Zeta's timetable on the next culling sequence but sometimes I just gotta hear the reports in person since I'm missing out on all the enviable fun Radek's been having."

Zelenka's eyes widened behind his glasses. "Rodney, so help me, your last meal's going to be lemons."

"With sugar on it, then I'll believe you even less." McKay beamed.

Caldwell took over. "I'm real sorry to interrupt the tearful handshakes. Iota lit up just fine. Took a little longer than we'd hoped, but we didn't run into conflicts. Edowin is quiet for the most part, the wraith scrubbed it pretty clean. The Doranda fringe is secured, all three beads fully operational. We had a little trouble with a band of well-armed, rogue worshipers along the way there; I regret to inform you we were forced to put an end to their misery."

"Great!" McKay said. "To the City they go."

"We caught forty-seven," Sheppard put in. "I'm growing fond of stasis pods."

"No rain checks; you won't miss the job," McKay assured him. "Patrolling is needed for as long as the wraith scattering to the Asuras system remain largely unaffected. The Alliance still has a lot of ground to cover. I won't be seeing you on Atlantis this time around, if you're going back there. John, stop by, huh? You have to handle the teams, I know. Carter's hoping you can lead AR-5 and start spurring the horse in the Sculatem system. You probably got that from the Cerberus."

"Course I did. I'll be coordinating another pile of homework very soon and I have to go back to Taranis anyhow. Bad timing."

McKay nodded. "Bad luck. Colonel, we're heading for the finish lines, I'll have the Zeta assignments sent over."

"Will do, McKay," Caldwell said. "Three more segments to go."

"Can't wait, sir. Nicely done, people, we're almost there. The Alliance better be grateful after all this labor. Bye, Radek."

"I'll be seeing you, don't worry," Zelenka mumbled.

Communication was cut and Caldwell looked around at the crew. "We'll be getting a bit of much-needed rest on Origin, then it's off to the dual moons of ML7-120 for the linking of the Gamma segment once Dr. McKay gives us the go-ahead."

Zelenka looked less disinterested only for a moment. Leaning his cheek on his fist, he turned to Bill again. "Please tell me that you of all wraith are bored by now. It would give me such great joy. Perhaps it would even help me to build new enthusiasm."

"I have never understood what "boring" is," the wraith lied. His long white hair was expertly tied back, not one strand out of place. "Our stamina is greatly improved since the Vytrin took effect. For someone whose job it is to be leading operations, you seem to have lost yours fairly quickly."

"It's too late for the niceties. I'm off to get some well-deserved shut-eye. Unlike yourself, I actually do spend time taking it easy."

"Be my guest," the wraith said robotically, insectoid eyes still roving over the screens.

"I beg you won't accidentally touch any red buttons," Zelenka said, gathering his work items. "If you get my drift."

Bill looked up, the tips of his pale teeth showing a little. "I do not see any red buttons nearby, so…never fear. Or are you simply irritated that I am able to remain in control here for a longer period of time than you are?"

Zelenka stared owlishly as he hefted his tablets under one arm. "You don't read minds as well as I thought you could. Be a good chap while I'm gone." And with that, he hurried away as if scared the colonel would order him to stay and maintain the bridge.

Once out of sight of the bridge, Colonel Sheppard and Zelenka made a dash for the hangars, met AR-8 and AR-9 near the Escape jumper, and they all boarded for the one-minute flight to Origin. The newest update in Sheppard's personal logs was something only Commander Woolsey would overlook:

"Living in the Edowin system isn't all that cool. Anyone wants to argue, they can come and check it out for themselves. I'm not your best choice as a tour guide."

There were not that many Atlantis-based missions, no daily dashing through wormholes, and no sparring with Ronan; not to mention, the wraith were unresistant now that Todd had claimed so many factions. There were no bugs to kill.

Sheppard did not mind the absence of their predacious attacks, but he sometimes missed the consistent weight of a P-90 on his arm. Ronan, on a recent break from tracking down runners to be freed and added to the growing base of allies, was probably enjoying a nice time with the Athosians, but Sheppard wasn't sure if the former runner was as yet fully accepting of the altered wraith who were working alongside him.

Sheppard had finally grown accustomed to Bill, and they had engaged in many an interesting conversation. Bill was very much a youthful version of a wraith, and his cleverness wore even Zelenka out. Bill remained an irreplaceable member of the Beacon expedition, and naturally, Sheppard had given him a name that was easy for everyone to remember. The few wraith he knew personally were quietly accepting of human designations and that suited the colonel just fine.

Only a week prior, Sheppard had spoken with Todd for the first time in ages when the wraith's lead hive arrived within communications range at a designated point in the Edowin system to recover after hyperspace travel. Altered by the incredible Vytrin, the injected hives were pearlier, appearing less like bony, oozing, tendon-filled spiders' nests. Now they gleamed lavender and pearl, somewhat like the rare, iridescent beetles that could be found in southern continents back on Earth.

"Johhhn Sheppaaarr-D." Todd's deep voice was multi-toned. He did not address Sheppard by his military rank any more than Sheppard would bother saying, "Greetings, commander." Todd somehow looked less battle-worn; he seemed sprightlier and keener. The Vytrin had done nothing for his hair, which was somehow wilder than ever at the moment. "I have not received any distress calls from you complaining that you finally managed to lose your way in this incredible network."

Sheppard gave him a sarcastic smile. "I wasn't about to say it's good to see you too, but maybe I am, since I'm still keeping an eye on your progress. So far, you get an A plus, and I'm being generous."

"Critical as ever…well, I won't turn down a positive review. The fringes of the Asuran system are faring as we speak."

"Is Gamma operating?"

"If it wasn't, Dr. McKay would be justifiably upset with me."

"Just asking in case "faring" only meant 'nothing's dead in the water'."

Todd smirked. "And you, have you made progress? The kind we spoke of last time?"

Sheppard quirked his eyebrows. "Sound a little more pessimistic."

"Oh, come now…"

Sheppard scratched his head a little. "Fine, I'll spill it, maybe you'll shut up about it from here on out. I know you want to enjoy this, so I'll keep the juicy details to myself. I let myself be fed on recently by a starving wraith, some wanderer we ran into on an Edowin moon. We had a conversation, induced hibernation, injected him, and then gave him permission to feed. I had to take a day and a half off." Sheppard fingered his collarbone a moment. "And don't remind me I've had worse."

"H-h-h," Todd laughed a little. "You will grow accustomed to the Vytrin not working as swiftly as the gift of life does. Still, you have grown…a little braver."

"Some of us have slightly different ideas about what bravery means," Sheppard said. "Where are you headed?"

"To Athos, after following up in the Zeta segment. I have supplied two more fleets, including a mothership, to the fringe of Asuras. They will make contact as soon as they have snared a new party for injection and begin the process immediately. The worshiper migrations from Edowin are enormous. I have been kept very busy."

Sheppard nodded. "Things are going a lot better than expected, case you hadn't noticed. But I'm not getting comfortable any time soon. This seems too easy, Todd."

"Hm…I am of the same mind. But since when do we get comfortable with these types of missions, John Sheppard? The conflict is far from over, and I don't believe we will have to wait very long for the next absurdities to arise. There is so much…food for thought."

Sheppard smirked darkly. "Can his brain handle the indigestion? Woolsey mentioned he would contact you about securing old Lantea before Midway's reconstruction plans go into effect."

"He did. And, in addition, here is something to lift your spirits…"

Sheppard's smirk vanished. "The jury's all ears."

"Sooo much skepticismmm." Todd leered. "Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you. Close to two hundred very old worshipers have been culled and sent to Atlantis in select groups; their recovery is proving to be slow, but they will survive as long as there are affected wraith around to heal them. The group I still have with me requires larger doses of Vytrin than average worshipers do."

"No surprise to me." Sheppard wondered what "average" meant anymore.

"Mr. Woolsey solicited my help in fully locking down Old Lantea, and I will be on the system's perimeter again later on. The worshipers traveling from Edowin will follow wherever the wraith go, and we hope to head them off at Iraxilla itself. Yes…the fabled wraith home-world. So, I am still baiting the trap. In the worshipers' desire for the enzymes, the Iratus call to them. Originally, I supposed it would be simpler to allow the worshipers to be bitten, and then inject the Vytrin, but I'm not sure they would appreciate being turned into wraith."

"Well, at least you finally have respect for our preferences," Sheppard said drily.

Todd did have a predilection for quick and lazy solutions as often as he did Plan B's and C's. "The faster we finish etching the network across this part of the galaxy, the sooner we can return to our territories and… unpretentious existences. I look forward to the conjoining of the remaining segments."

"Spinning snares is what you're good at," Sheppard said carelessly. "It's nice that we get a turn for once."

"How are you enjoying the wraith side of life?"

"I'm not exactly waiting tables."

"H-h-h." Todd laughed a little without moving his lips, but the smirk showed over the rest of his greenish face. "Well, you will hear from me later on, Sheppaarrr-D. Stay out of trouble."

"Look who's talking. Took the words right out of my mouth. And you needn't concern yourself."

"Very well, Sheppard. But there are others that may…and I am keeping an eye on them."

"Okay, I can appreciate that. And if it doesn't come with strings attached, I'll give you permission to feed on me."

Todd laughed again, slowly shaking his head.

Sheppard's return grimace, somewhere between a wince and a smirk, was well-honed.

Fast forward back to the present: Sheppard was currently hoping that he could devote the next twenty-four hours to sleep and research. When the doors to his temporary quarters on Origin slid shut behind him, it was like having a noisy radio cut off. Sheppard collapsed onto his cot, laced his fingers behind his head, and kicked his boots off. (It took some doing since he was too lazy to untie the laces first.)

Sheppard kept thinking back over everything that still needed to be done. His AR-1 team was temporarily scattered. AR-2 and AR-3 were with Colonel Carter. He would be coordinating new missions for AR-4 and AR-6 since they had explored the Alpha planets with good outcomes; AR-5 was in recovery on Atlantis post one of the Phu missions. Lieutenant Laura Cadman had returned to the SGC for a time, so that left AR-7 with Lieutenant Stackhouse. AR-9, the team Ritha Guider accompanied, was currently working with the Daedalus, and AR-10 was missing two team members after a mission to P6L-266 in the Taranis System, outside the Beacon Web. Strange things had happened there, and Woolsey was still investigating the particulars.

Certain wraith factions located in the Sculatem system had violently resisted being altered in late 2012, but eventually, the Vytrin injections took place after Todd talked the wraith into submission. Sheppard reflected that at least Todd's aptitudes were being used for something besides getting fun out of dominating the masses.

Mapping the conquered territories over a third of the explored galaxy had been no small feat, and required several of Todd's top subordinates as well as the combined skills of McKay and Zelenka. The beacons were managed mainly by the wraith and the Lanteans for the time being, but the Athosians certainly had just as much claim. It was all three groups' combined technological abilities that had turned out the prototypes and forged the network. The Athosians relied mainly on the Alpha beacon, their warning system against unaffected-wraith infiltrations. Most of the time, Origin snared such wraith beforehand, so the Athosians lived in general peace.

Zelenka once tastelessly commented that the wraith and Lantean battle-cruisers could be thought of as the new racial abdomens, depositing the eggs of a future, stronger Alliance. In the aftermath of Morrtra's horrifying human experiments and vicious attacks, certain wraith including Todd, and Ritha Guider and Teyla, had been the only personnel to appreciate the poetry of that classic "Zelenka-style" wisdom. Reactions from those less inclined included Ronan's single-eyebrow-raise and Woolsey's hesitant, "Um. Yes. You…might put it that way."

Sheppard lazily grabbed his tablet and opened up a transmission relayed to him several days prior. He had sought its secret comfort several times:

"Colonel Sheppard." Teyla's tones were as steady as they always were. "Mr. Woolsey says you're arriving home soon. I'm relieved to hear the missions have gone so well; your reports give me greater hope during the most trying days. I have had my hands full with the negotiations between the City and an Athos wraith faction because their worshipers are recovering and slowly but surely joining forces with Ronan's troops. You already know the Athosian army has grown a great deal in the recent weeks but I have even better news. They are ready to launch their first fleet, led proudly by Halling, no less. Jinto and Wex are not without mishaps as they learn to use more advanced blaster weaponry. Ronan reports he has less luck with them than he does with the runners." The amusement faded from her voice. "We all miss you. I pray the Iota launch goes as planned. The Athosians send their greetings."

Sheppard thumbed the tablet. Teyla tended to sound a bit more professional over a transmitted message than she did in person. This time she also sounded as though she were holding back a great deal of interesting news. The Athosians had learned to employ wraith bio-tech on a unique level in addition to their own never-before-seen designs and technological abilities. Sheppard had only had a look at the trial products; it sounded like Teyla was impressed with the new outcomes. And she'd better be. All that Halling and the kin had put into the designs and even allowing themselves to walk within twenty-five feet of a group of wraith had taken a great deal of effort, to say the least. Teyla had played both wraith and Athosian queen for at least a year.

Another of Sheppard's entries went thus: "The Athosians' renderings of many types of flying machines, combined with insectoid designs, have turned out formidable crafts. Of course Halling violently protested against basing the design of his future ships off anything wraith-related, until he witnessed how many ATA humans were test-flying darts and how well-suited the designs might be to the primitive Athosian ways and their scattered wraith-kin abilities. His son Jinto (he's like seventeen now, time sure flies) took time off from duties during apprenticeship to Zelenka and figured out how to power up and fly one of the confiscated dart-ships we kept after the Morrtra War. I'll never forget Rodney shouting, "Wraith scum incoming!" and a needle-like shadow zooming across the windows of the gate room and raising the hair on the back of my neck. Good thing we think before we shoot.

Halling was furious, naturally, when he learned who the pilot was, and Jinto was grounded in the science lab for a solid week. You're probably wondering how that was possible at Jinto's age. It makes sense once you get to know Halling.

With regard to the first of the Athosian tech and ships ever built, Halling finally caved. Team effort was the Athosians' best hope. Now he swears that the improvement of the dart designs for his own blueprints is "a declaration of superiority." Praised be the Ancestors. (And seriously, I mean that this time.)"

Sheppard smirked a little at the memory of the Alliance bowing to the Athosian treaty for the first time. Todd and Halling got along like fire and water. The introductions had been as uncomfortable as when Ronan met Teal'c. The event lacked brutality, of course. It was proud elegance meets…elegant pride. Todd talked just fine. Halling used monosyllables.

Sheppard laid aside the tablet. As he drifted off into sleep, the memory of darts whining through atmospheres melded into intermittent dreams, and a vast shower of silver arrows, like a backwards-flowing waterfall, traversed the stars and flung itself into the hull of a black hive ship. The dream shifted and Sheppard was stepping through an event-horizon.

General Jack O'Neill's voice echoed from a long, long distance away, the consonants overlapping again and again like silky s's. "Yeah, well I think anyone who doesn't want to go through the Stargate is wacked!"

When Sheppard awoke hours later, he could not quite remember what he had seen, but the voice was still audible. He felt a pillow fall off the bed as he pushed himself upright.

He was not too comfortable imagining life without the gates. He was even beginning to realize that life would seem a bit unusual without the wraith around. Sheppard sat there, running his fingers through his hair, still boyishly tousled even though he was pushing age forty. His thoughts traversed memories of his years of expeditions. "General, I would also love to inform you that I think anyone who thinks the wraith are totally cool is wacked," he muttered. But perhaps he didn't believe that so ardently anymore.

In his mind's eye, General O'Neill was beside him in the cockpit of a helicopter, and nodding in understanding. "Bugs and worms aren't so bad once you've hung out with them. I use them to fish with all the time."

Even the sunlight on the general's dark glasses reflected sarcasm…

Sheppard rolled out of bed, pulled on his jacket, and headed for the command center, intending to sneak up on Rodney McKay with a couple of drinks.

And not very far away, in Atlantis, thirty-two-year-old Ritha Guider sat alone in the darkness of a science lab, the bluish glows from a tablet screen caressing the edges of her face.

Back in 2009's reality rift, while working beside a frantic Zelenka, Ritha's heart had inexplicably stopped during Todd's near-demise. Carson Beckett didn't have anything positive to say about a series of strange little palpitations that had bothered Ritha like clockwork ever since she revived.

"Never ending," she said quietly. Slowly, she grasped a syringe with a measured amount of Vytrin I and let its needle pierce her right hand.